Guns N' Roses
by SunThorn19
Summary: Elena will do anything to save the life of her long time best friend, Klaus; even if it means asking for help from the brilliant, but womanizing Dr. Damon Salvatore. But the infamous doctor has some dark secrets; and Klaus's ties to the mob leaves more than just his life in danger. With bullets flying and steamy romance in the air, get ready for a wild ride. AU/AH Delena/Klaroline!
1. Chapter One

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries, or any of the characters in the show. I only own my plot lines and OCs!**_

* * *

_**Guns N' Roses**_

_**Chapter One: The Edge Of Disaster**_

Elena Gilbert strode down the halls of San Diego General, a determined look coloring her face as the pale white walls and generic cherry wood colored doors mixed into a blur around her. She had next to no idea where she was going, being totally unfamiliar with the hospital, but thanks to her interrogation efforts with an unsuspecting nurse at the desk, the doe eyed beauty knew enough to get where she needed to go.

Pages for various doctors came over the loud system as Elena rounded a corner and continued on her way down another hall, past another series of patient rooms. Despite her foreignness with San Diego General, Elena was no stranger to hospitals. After four years of medical school, a residency in Richmond, half a year spent in Paris researching experimental drug treatments, and two years in a steady career as a specialist in drug protocol, the sterile smells and echoing hallways were nothing new to her.

Anyone passing the young woman in the hallway would undoubtedly label her a woman on a mission. Her eyes were fixed determinedly ahead, and her black ballet flats tapped loudly against the white and grey tiles that lined the hallway. According to the nurse she'd spoken to earlier, she was almost to the place she needed to be.

This sort of pro-active 'hunting' was far and above out of character for Elena. For most of her life, Elena had been the quieter spoken of the Gilbert siblings. She'd always been one to kill people with kindness (and occasionally threats), not with confrontation and brash demands. But she was willing to make an exception this time. This time, a life was on the line. A life that meant the world to Elena, but this time, she wasn't able to save.

But Damon Salvatore could.

Coming to an abrupt halt in front of the room the nurse had reluctantly admitted Elena would find Dr. Salvatore. A dubiously unimpressed look crossed the dark haired woman's face as she reached out and grasped the doorknob and threw the door to one of the many supply closets in the hospital wide open, not exactly thrilled at the sight she unveiled.

A man and a woman, both wearing scrubs –or, pieces of scrubs to be precise- clearly weren't expecting to be interrupted. The woman sat on top of a cart that had previously been stocked with meds that now littered the ground, her legs wrapped around the man as if she were clinging to him for dear life. Her shirt had been flung across the closet on top of another cart, along with the man's shirt. His arms were wrapped around her, in her hair, kissing her as if the end of the world was right around the corner.

Upon her intrusion, the couple broke apart and looked at her. The woman looked horrified, and she instantly shoved the man away and made a b-line for her shirt. Once she'd jerked it on, she shoved past Elena and quickly jogged off down the hall.

"I'll call you!" The man shouted after the fleeing nurse. A self-satisfied smirk lit his face as he retrieved his own shirt and slid it on over his –much to Elena's dismay- well sculpted chest. He turned his icy blue eyes on Elena a moment later, his amusement turning to something a little less friendly, "Ever heard of knocking?" Clearly the doctor wasn't happy with the interruption. How sad, Elena thought dryly to herself, she was messing up his game already.

"Ever heard of decency?" Elena countered, raising an eyebrow at the man's audacity. She'd expected a little more of one of the top neurosurgeons in the states, but considering her current situation, she didn't really care what he spent his free time doing. Damon Salvatore was her only chance, she didn't exactly have room to stand on her moral high horse. Well, outwardly. Inwardly, she could judge him like hell for whoring it up in a closet like a drunken frat boy on Thanksgiving.

With an un-amused eye roll, Damon Salvatore glanced at the clock on the wall behind Elena, visibly indicating his unwillingness to continue the conversation. "Can I help you with something, or did you just come to sneak a peek?" he asked cockily.

An audible scoff escaped Elena's lips, her face just as incredulous as her noise of protest. If she'd wanted to watch a barely clothed couple get it on in the closet, she could have just gone to visit her little brother, Jeremy, at college. Or her aunt Jenna and godfather, Alaric.

Contrary to the admittedly gorgeous doctor, Elena didn't come looking for male company. She'd come looking for Damon Salvatore because her best friend was dying thanks to a brain tumor that almost every doctor she'd spoken to had ruled inoperable. But Elena hadn't stopped there. She was a specialist in drug therapy and protocol, she always more prone to go the less invasive route anyway, but even drugs couldn't stop the progression of the tumor in her life long best friend Klaus's brain. The tumor had been growing undetected for years, and now thanks to its size and placement, most surgeons weren't willing to touch his case with a ten foot pole.

Enter Damon Salvatore.

The guy had a reputation for being one of the best neurosurgeons in the united states, and he was equally as well known for having a bit of a God complex. Annoying though that may be, Elena was banking on the arrogant doctor taking Klaus's case because he wanted to prove that he was good enough to defy the odds and do what every other doctor had backed down from.

The male ego, Elena thought with an internal smirk, was occasionally her best friend.

"Don't flatter yourself…in that context anyway," Elena corrected dryly, crossing her arms loosely over her chest as Damon smoothed his shirt down, apparently trying to appear as though he hadn't been using the supply closet for his afternoon ego boost. "I'm here because I need a miracle, and you're it."

* * *

347,890

There were three hundred forty seven thousand, eight hundred and ninety little grey dots on the ceiling of Klaus Mikaelson's hospital room.

He knew.

He counted.

Three times.

What else did he have to do? TV hadn't held his interest for years (the fact that people's attention could be held by _Two And A Half Men _and _Jersery Shore _was a rather frightening and disappointing fact to Klaus), he'd read every book the hospital had to offer that he hadn't already read before. And it's not as if he had a long line of friends and family to troop in and visit, one right after the next to assure him that they were with him and that some miracle cure was out there waiting for him.

But then again, in Klaus's mind, it was better that he didn't have many friends, and that he was all but estranged from his family. His life wasn't suitable for close relationships. It wasn't safe. It was better that he was here, counting the dots on the ceiling, than worrying about what his life would cost someone else. Though he'd been accused of being selfish for the better part of his life, Klaus would never willingly endanger the lives of people he loved.

Of course there were a few exceptions to that rule. He'd had relationships over the years that undoubtedly put those women in more danger than he would have liked, but all of them had parted with him over peaceful terms, and completely unharmed. The other exception…well, there was little Klaus could do about Elena Gilbert. They'd been friends since the third grade when Elena had stuck up for Klaus to their teacher –who thought Klaus was the spawn of Satan- and they wound up in detention together for the next two weeks. They'd been best friends ever since. And despite how dangerous Klaus's life had become, Elena refused to back away from him, even when he practically begged her to for safety reasons.

Fortunately though, the danger his life posed to the people around him wouldn't be an issue much longer. Thanks to one little unpredictable factor that had forced his life to screech to a grinding halt a few weeks ago.

He was dying.

However, the prospect of his own mortality didn't paralyze Klaus the way it did so many people. Truth to be told, he should've died years ago, anyway. His fears of the unknown of death had vanished back then. Klaus had sailed this ship before; why would he fear breeching the helm again?

He wasn't one of those people leaving behind too much to lose. He was no one's boyfriend, fiancé, or husband. He wasn't a father. He wasn't running a huge company that thousands of people's jobs depended on. He didn't have a huge circle of friends begging for him to live. Really, if anyone in the world was going to die, Klaus considered himself to be the kind of person who was least painful for the world to lose.

And no, he wasn't one of those whiny, broody guys who sat around feeling bad about himself because of his lifestyle. He was just practical. A realist. Every doctor who had seen his case said that he was terminal. The only doctor who hadn't given that diagnosis was Elena, and Klaus had a sneaking suspicion she was just being stubborn because she didn't want to part with him. He understood, he wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of kicking the bucket either. But unlike Elena, he didn't want to spend his time chasing down unwilling doctors who couldn't save him.

So, by now you're probably wondering why Klaus didn't have at least a few family members around him. Dying was one of those things that supposedly brought families together, right? Well, not exactly in the case of the Mikaelsons.

In his family, Klaus had been the black sheep pretty much from the time he could talk. He never really fit in with that whole stick-up-the-ass-intitled-asshole thing that his father was so famous for. And unlike his brothers Elijah and Kol, and his sister Rebekah, he'd never been good at pretending he was happy in their suffocating home.

Then, there was the small little detail that he'd been behind the wheel in the wreck that claimed the life of his youngest brother, Henrik, when he was a teenager. Or, at least, that's what he told everyone. His reasons were his own for taking the blame. It was something Klaus believed to be the right decision, and he hadn't breathed a word of the truth to anyone.

So now here he was, all but estranged from his entire family. He was still on decent terms with his older brother, Elijah, but thanks to Elijah's demanding job, he was out of the country more often than he was in it. Rebekah harbored some bitter feelings towards him and avoided him as often as she could. Which was made more difficult by her friendship with Elena, and the fact that the two women were roommates with one Caroline Forbes. Kol was off at college enjoying his free ride on his baseball scholarship, making up excuses to never come home and avoiding phone calls and emails like a pro. His mother only made an effort to speak to him on major holidays. And his father hadn't spoken two words to Klaus in over four years. A difficult feat, seeing as how Mikael Mikaelson was the chief of staff at Mystic General.

Those broken relationships had always weighed heavily on his heart for years, but what could he have done about it? If he told the truth about the accident, it would only blow the apart further. And what if he fixed those relationships, and then the dangers of his world as an arms dealer wound getting one of them hurt? It was better this way, really. In a matter of weeks, his body would be cold in the ground, and the world wouldn't change a bit from the loss. Hell, people might even be happier when the never-convicted arms dealer slash hit man was dead and gone. Maybe this brain tumor was karma for the things he'd done, the lies he'd told, the people he'd hurt. Maybe his death was a balance to the world?

The truth of the matter was that Klaus had accepted his death. It was inevitable. His future was as set in stone as those three hundred forty seven thousand, eight hundred and ninety dots on the ceiling.

The only regret that faced the handsome Brit was that in the twelve years he'd pined for Caroline Forbes, he only had one night, and a drunken one at that –bourn of grief at that- with her to show for it.

Sighing, Klaus returned his gaze to the ceiling.

One.

Two.

Three.

* * *

Life has a real bitch of a sense of humor, Caroline Forbes thought dryly as she stood before one of the computers at the nurse's desk, trying and failing to focus on entering a patient's information in the system. Could there be a worse time to be a nurse?

There was really no other way to put it these days, in Caroline's mind. What else could explain the insane turn her life had taken? It wasn't supposed to be like this. Not even close. Ever since fifth grade, Caroline had a plan for her life. A pretty damn good plan too, if she didn't say so herself. And this…this wasn't it.

The plan? Become a cheerleader. Be popular. Date an athlete. Keep her friendships alive no matter what. Become Miss Mystic Falls. Graduate top of her class and prove to the world that cheerleading blondes weren't all stupid. Go to college. Join her mother's old sorority. Get her nursing degree. Get a job at Mystic General Hospital. And later of course, she added marry and ride off into the sunset with Tyler Lockwood to the list.

In truth, she'd accomplished almost everything on that list perfectly. No, it wasn't easy, but she'd done it. She'd fought through the hardships that came with popularity. She'd stretched herself thin trying to keep all her friends together. And of course, she dealt with the insane worry of having a cop boyfriend, always worried that when he walked out the front door in the morning he'd never return. Despite what people thought of Caroline when she was younger, she wasn't some brainless airhead that only cared for herself. She simply knew what she wanted and went after it. If she were a man, people would admire her. It had always been the spunky blonde's belief that the double standard women held about confidence would always be her downfall. But either way the cookie crumbled, the fact remained that Caroline had been handed very little in her life. She had to work her ass off to have it.

But the end of the list began to slip away just a few short months ago. In the midst of planning her wedding with Tyler and enjoying the bliss of her new job (even with the stresses it provided) and loving every moment of staring at the ring on her finger, something changed. Or, more specifically, Tyler changed. He became moody and erratic, and he made up every excuse in the book to avoid coming home to her. And when he was home, Caroline honestly began wishing that he wasn't.

They fought like cats and dogs on a regular basis, and no matter how many times Caroline demanded to know what was wrong with him, Tyler refused to confide anything in her. For weeks, Caroline felt as though she was planning a wedding with a total stranger. Somehow Tyler had gone from being her best friend to this shell of a person full of angry and bitterness. And while Caroline would have been ready and willing to forgive him…Tyler never really gave her the chance to. Despite being months away from being his wife, Caroline had never felt more separated from him. And it was that feeling that spurred her friendship with Klaus Mikaelson.

She'd always known who he was. Everyone in town did, thanks to the publicity of the accident and his alleged activity with arms dealing…and other things. And thanks to her friendship with Elena and Rebekah, she knew of Klaus a little more personally than a lot of people did. And despite the dark rumors that surrounded him, he was kind to her, and he was always willing to listen when she was about to crack under the strain of her failing relationship.

Ironically enough, the whole thing began in a little hole in the wall bar downtown. Bobby's. The owner was a guy who'd lived his best days in the seventies and he never quite left the behind. Bobby was always high or half drunk, but since he didn't stir up any trouble, people pretty much left him be. Despite the bar being pretty small and not the nicest place in the world, it did pretty fair business, and it was a common hang out for people who didn't want company.

Enter Klaus and Caroline.

Klaus had been fond of solitude for quite some time. The only people Caroline ever knew him to spend time with was his older brother Elijah when he was in town, Elena, and his business partner, Galen Vaughn. That was pretty much it. But surprisingly, it had been the blonde haired Brit that struck up the conversation. He'd asked her why she looked so upset, if someone had done something to hurt her.

It was a simple enough question, but his unexpected compassion had come at a crucial moment. Caroline spilled the beans. She told him about Tyler's odd behavior, about how much it hurt her to be shut out of his world, about how she wondered why she was still planning a wedding to a man who didn't seem to want to be with her anymore.

And Klaus just sat there and listened for God knows how long, never interrupting, never growing tired of listening to her woes. When she finally managed to get a hold of her mouth and shut up, Klaus hadn't said a word. He just reached across the bar, squeezed her hand, and bought her another drink.

That night changed things between them. They started meeting regularly, finding comfort and unexpected happiness in one another's company. After a while, Klaus began to loosen up, and he began to confide in Caroline too. He told her about his family, about how he'd been shun after the accident that killed his brother. She continued to vent about Tyler, and Klaus never once judged her for being fed up with her fiancé.

Nor did he turn her away the night she showed up on his doorstep, broken hearted and drunk after she'd found Tyler in bed with his partner, Hayley.

She'd been so angry and upset that she could have gladly pushed Tyler and his stupid home wrecking whore down the twenty three flights of stairs that led to Klaus's pent house. Or maybe that was just the booze talking. Either way, Caroline was in a bad place that night.

And though Caroline hadn't known why then, Klaus was too.

So, they started drinking. And drinking some more. And talking.

And kissing.

And going to his bedroom.

And ripping each other's clothes off.

And…you know what happens next if you've had the 'birds and the bees' talk. If not, use your imagination. It's not hard to figure out.

Neither of them regretted it. Caroline had taken off her ring the second she found Tyler in bed with Hayley and thrown it off the porch of his house. As far as she concerned, she hadn't cheated on Tyler, and Klaus was single.

Where the regret came in was that Tyler had died that night.

Caroline could remember the shock as clearly now as she had weeks ago when Hayley found her and told her the news. Apparently, Tyler and Hayley both had been called in to assist with a shootout that had broken out somewhere downtown. In the midst of the gunfire, Tyler had been shot. He'd died before the ambulance even arrived.

It was odd, grieving for a man she wasn't even sure how she felt about anymore. She'd loved him for so long…but Caroline couldn't deny that after weeks and weeks of fighting and verbal abuse she'd lost a lot of respect for Tyler, and she'd lost a lot of her desire to be his wife. The thought only made her feel guiltier now that he was dead.

The whole thing had been such a mess, and it was only made worse when a few days later, Elena told her why Klaus had been in such a bad place. He was dying, thanks to a brain tumor that had been ruled terminal.

Shaking her head as she logged out of the computer, Caroline wondered how she'd made it through the last couple of weeks. First Tyler, then discovering that Klaus was dying…it was too much. And that wasn't even the end of the heart stopped news she'd gotten.

With a sigh, Caroline leaned against the cold counter of the nurse's station, trying to collect her tangled thoughts. She was still on duty for the next four and a half hours, and the last thing she could afford to do right now was screw up and wind up getting fired. It was bad enough that she was already making detours all over the fifth floor to avoid passing Klaus's room. She hadn't spoken to him since the morning after they'd slept together.

God what a mess, Caroline thought.

Reaching down, her slim fingers slid over the small bulge in her scrub's pocket. Inside her pocket was a pregnancy test…a positive one…and she had no idea who the father was.

* * *

Damon Salvatore sat back against the cushioned back of one of the many rolling desk chairs that lined the cherry wood table in the conference room, looking over the file the very annoying, and possessing _very _bad timing Dr. Gilbert had brought him.

Though Damon never doubted his brilliance in the OR, even he had to admit that Elena Gilbert had been right when she said she needed a miracle.

This Klaus Mikaelson was pretty much screwed.

Kind of like him earlier when a certain brunette chased Livvie out of the supply closet.

God. His day started off so well. Slept in. Woke up to his amazingly glorious king sized bed in the five star hotel he was staying in, sans his dinner date from the night before who thankfully had disappeared in the early hours of the morning to make her walk of shame through the lobby, sparing them the awkward 'I'll call you' talk as he shooed her out the door.

He got breakfast in the hotel restaurant, another five star meal served by an adorable little waitress who he was taking out for drinks later. He signed up to hit the drag strips this weekend with his old college buddy, Nathan. Early afternoon, he performed another odd defying craniotomy. Impressed by his skills, nurse Livvie had pulled him into the supply closet.

Then Gilbert had to come knocking.

Oh well, she wasn't half bad to look at. Even if she did have a bad attitude.

Speaking of the devil, she was sitting directly across from him, studying him quietly and waiting for his answer. Apparently this Klaus guy was one of her close friends (Damon wondered if she burst in on him too?) and she was willing to go to the ends of the earth to find someone to treat him. Which explained her flight from upstate New York to San Diego. All for him. How touching.

Closing the file, Damon slid it quickly across the smooth surface of the table, clearly taking Elena by surprise. He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression less than amiable. "How many doctors have reviewed this case?" he asked curiously, assuming the number had long since reached the double digits. Obviously once she'd realized that her all-powerful drug therapy couldn't save the patient, she'd started barking up every tree from here to New York. And failing to find someone good enough, or willing to take the case, she'd come to find the best. Namely, him.

Placing her hands on the cover of the file, Elena met Damon's gaze fearlessly as she spoke, "Look, I know this case isn't open and shut. Obviously you're not stupid…in the medical field anyway," she added in an undertone, rolling her chocolate colored eyes before going on, "I've brought this case to a lot of doctors, and no, none of them have been willing to take it because they don't want the failed surgery on their record."

"And you think I do?" Damon interrupted, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow at the stubbornly determined doctor. Yeah, he was cocky. He had every right to be. Obviously, he'd earned his reputation for being brilliant in the OR. But just because he was one of the best didn't mean he was going to take a case that would be a black mark on his record.

"No," Elena said immediately, her chin raising a fraction with his tone. She brushed her long dark hair behind her ear on one side, clearly searching for the right words as she went on, "I brought this case to you because if anyone can save Klaus, it's you. You're not all about the odds being in your favor, or only taking the cases that stand to boost your reputation. You're out to be the best there is, and I knew that if any neurosurgeon had the balls to operate, it'd be you."

It was painfully obvious that Dr. Gilbert didn't enjoy boosting Damon's ego, but the bright intensity in her eyes clearly conveyed that she was willing to do, or say anything if it meant her friend was going to live. And while Damon was never one for being effected by people's show of stubborn devotion for their friends…there was something about this woman that stopped his refusal dead in its tracks.

Despite not being her biggest fan, that fire inside of her spoke to a greater part of him. One that he never let be shone on the outside, but it was there nonetheless. Not that he would tell Elena that. On the outside, Damon showed nothing more than professional confidence. He rose from his seat and walked around the conference room table, not stopping until he was standing a few feet away from Elena.

Damon leaned against the smoothed edge of the table and looked down at the passionate doctor with a smirk pulling at his lips, "You're right," he began, tilting his head to the side, "I _am _he best there is. And I'm the best chance your 'friend' has." He not so subtly raised his hands to put air quotes around Klaus's title as 'friends'. Damon had grave doubts that a mere friend was fighting this hard for his life. But hey, that was her business. He just liked pushing her buttons already.

Surprising him, Elena rose to her feet as well, standing only inches from Damon as she shoved the file back into his hands. She reached down and grabbed her bag that she'd earlier placed on the floor and slung it over her shoulder, "Then I expect to see you in New York." She said simply, giving Damon a frank look before she stepped around him and walked over to the closed door of the room. Wrapping her hand around the doorknob, Elena opened the door and walked out. But once she'd crossed the threshold, she paused and looked back at Damon, "Klaus isn't my boyfriend, Dr. Salvatore. He's my best friend." She stipulated. But a moment later, a small smile pulled up at the edges of her mouth, "Don't worry though, there's plenty of nurses that I'm sure will dive into the supply closet with you at Mystic General once you've saved his life. You don't have to get all jealous."

Without giving Damon a chance to respond, the brunette turned on her heel and set off at a brisk pace down the hall.

Shaking his head at Dr. Gilbert's own audacity, Damon left the room as well, closing the door behind him.

Okay…maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

_**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO XO**_

**Hi Lovelies :D**

**Thank you so much for giving my newest story a chance! I'm so excited for all the things I have planned, and I hope you guys love what I'm putting out in the FanFiction world! **

**Like I said in the summary, this is a Delena and Klaroline story. I guarantee both couples, but please don't get mad at me if they don't happen in the first two chapters of the story ;) I'm a bit of a traditionalist, I like to build anticipation so that those big moments taste that much sweeter. Hey, we waited for four seasons for Delena, we all know how to be patient ;)**

**For now, the story is rated T, but there's a very good chance that change to M for some later lemony scenes to come. Say like, a flashback of Klaroline's night together, or some steamy Delena moments that are all the better when yours truly isn't confined by the constraints of Teeny Bopper rules ;)**

**I hope you guys loved this chapter. I know it wasn't exactly action packed, but the first chapter is how you get the ground work covered. I wanted you guys to get a good understanding of what everyone's lives look like, and what brought them to this moment. I assure you, this story won't be lacking in the action, or romance department. In coming chapters, there may be some more cannon couples, or cannon/OC couples too (: **

**I really do hope you guys like this so far. Thank you so so much for reading! I'd LOVE to hear from all of you in the comments? Let me know what you thought, if you want to see more? (: **

**Lastly, a very, very big thank you to my friends Chloe, Mallory, and Serena. You guys have been so incredibly amazing to me, and such a huge help in getting this story going. Especially you Miss Chloe, thanks for that kick in the ass ;) **

**Until next time, thanks guys!**

**-Cilla :D**


	2. Chapter Two

_**Guns's N' Roses**_

_**Chapter Two: Welcome To New York**_

"So, how are we feeling?" The bubbly nurse that popped in much too often for Klaus's taste asked him for the tenth time that morning. He knew she was trying to be kind, but the woman's incessant cheerfulness while he was staring death in the face had become a little too much to tolerate. This wouldn't be the first time he fantasized about her finding herself locked in the basement, far from his room.

The only response Klaus offered was a small smile as nurse Aimee checked over his chart again. What the bloody hell was so good about that chart anyway? She spent half her visit in his room with her nose stuck in that thing. It wasn't as if there was anything good in there. In fact, it's whole existence depended on her to fill it. Really, it was Klaus's theory that she only used that infertile book as an excuse to stay longer.

No, he wasn't flattering his own ego. He was simply watching the way this woman refused to leave his room.

"Well, I'll let you get some rest!" she chirped as she returned his chart to the plastic holder on the end of his hospital bed. With quick, light steps she walked over to the head of the bed, smiling down at him as she reached around him and fluffed up his pillows, letting her auburn hair brush against his face as she leaned over him. And giving him an obnoxious whiff of the perfume she wore.

Mother of God.

As she straightened back up, Aimee placed her hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze, "We're gonna get you better, Klaus. Just stay positive, okay, sweetie?" she encouraged with a bright smile before she turned military fashion on her heel and half skipped out of the room, making a _very _deliberate attempt to sway her hips as she went. When she finally disappeared out the door, closing it behind her, Klaus let out a groan of relief.

God bless that woman, she would surely shorten his suffering in the form of an early grave.

Shaking his head, Klaus reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his phone, curious to know if he had any messages from a certain best friend of his who went running out of his room like a bat out of hell, clutching her computer and bag and promising to return with help. Whatever the hell that meant. She'd been sitting there, quiet as a church mouse for well over an hour, looking for answers to the little problem of his impending doom. Then out of nowhere, she gasped, wrote a few things down on her notepad, and went running from the room, shouting encouragements over her shoulder.

Glancing down at his phone, Klaus sighed when he realized he hadn't missed anything. He'd just have to wait until she came back…or someone else took pity on him and told him what the hell was going on. None of the other doctors and nurses that passed through knew exactly where Elena was. All they knew was that she had requested a few days for emergency leave to 'help a patient'.

Truthfully, the only people who probably knew where Elena had run off to were her roommates, and his chances of seeing them were slim to none. Rebekah had never been good with hospitals. Even before the accident. She had been horribly sick as a child, and something about mortality kept her away from the white washed halls at all costs; even from people she could tolerate being around more than him.

And Caroline…well, he hadn't seen her since the morning he walked her out to her cab. He hadn't spoken to her since, either. And though he'd like to believe that it was all just part of her grief over Tyler, Klaus had a bad feeling that it was something more. Like regret for what they'd done. Hell, maybe she resented him for letting her in that night when he knew she was in a bad place? Whatever the reason, Caroline had been avoiding him for weeks, and she wasn't showing any signs of letting up any time soon.

Could he blame her? Could he honestly say that he expected, or deserved anything different? His life wasn't cut out for relationships. It hadn't been for years. And Caroline knew that. Why would he expect her to stick around? The fact that he was a dead man walking didn't exactly change anything. If anything, it gave Caroline even more of a reason to avoid him. She just suffered through Tyler's death, why would she want to get closer to him just in time for Klaus to kick the bucket?

And really, perhaps it was the fact that he was dying that he expected to hear from Caroline at all? Under different circumstances, he probably would have just let the issue drop in Caroline's best interest and let her grieve in peace. But he only had so much time left on this earth…and call him selfish, but he really didn't want to leave it without at least telling Caroline that the night they spent together was so much more than just a drunken night of pain to him.

It was one of the best of his life.

But at the rate things were going, he'd be leaving that in his obituary.

What an uplifting thought.

Rolling his eyes, Klaus returned his phone to the bedside table at the exact moment that his hospital room door came flying open. At first he assumed it was nurse Aimee, coming back to poison him with the scent of her perfume or choke him with her hair, but it wasn't the sight of the overzealous nurse that greeted him in the doorway.

It was a very excitable looking Elena Gilbert, out of breath and grinning at him like an idiot. Well, maybe not an idiot. That wasn't a very nice way of explaining his best friend's joy. But it was the only analogy that he could come up with after she'd fled the room two days ago, and then comes back looking as though Christmas had come early. And Santa had stuffed her stalking with diamond rings from one of those Hollywood handsome CW guys.

Before Klaus could open his mouth to speak, Elena was across the room, settling herself on the edge of his bed right next to him, that smile still going strong, "I found a doctor to take your case." She said without preamble, her chocolate eyes alight with hope.

Klaus's stormy blue eyes widened a little at the news. He honestly never expected to hear that after how many doctors had trooped in and out of his room with nothing but their different variations of condolences. He was an open and shut case, and not in a good way. So how the hell did Elena manage to find someone crazy enough to try and save his life?

"Is this person sane? Licensed?" Klaus questioned, a smirk tugging at his lips as he teased. A moment later, he adopted a thoughtful expression and added "Are you sure you showed this doctor the right records?"

With eyes narrowed, Elena lightly slapped his shoulder, clearly not happy with his reaction, "Yes, jackass, I did. He's one of the best in the states, Klaus. If anyone can get you through this, it's him." She said, her tone returning to what Klaus had always labeled as her 'Impressive Doctor Voice'.

Smiling, Klaus nudged Elena's thigh with his own, letting her know he was only teasing. Despite his less than cheerful approach to this, he appreciated how much Elena had done for him in the last couple of weeks. He knew she was wearing herself thin. "I have to hand it to you, love, you're quite the miracle worker." After the looks he'd seen some of those doctors give him after they read his file, he knew it was no small thing that Elena had managed to get this guy to attempt to reverse the crazy mess in his brain. Looking around the room as if he expected to see this doctor, Klaus asked, "So, where is this brilliant doctor? You didn't kidnap him at gunpoint, did you?" Klaus teased again.

Hey, even dying men need something to smile about.

Elena rolled her eyes and shook her head, "No, but I would have it's that what it came down to." She said simply, as if committing such a crime were an obvious course of action. Adopting a more serious expression, Elena tucked her hair behind her ear and went on, "He's flying in from San Diego, he should be here tonight. Listen, Klaus, he needs to operate as soon as possible. So…I just wanted to make sure you remember all the risks we discussed last time I told you about the surgery?"

How could he forget? He could die during the surgery from the trauma to his brain. He could wind up in a coma for the rest of his life, only being kept alive by machines. He could wake up permanently brain damaged, his personality changed for good. And lastly, he could make it through the surgery, and then die.

No, he hadn't forgotten about that.

But the way Klaus saw it with this renewed hope of life, if he did nothing, he would die for sure. He had no chance of living if he opted to not have the surgery. So the death risk that came with the surgery didn't really bother him. If he died on the table, well, it would just speed up what would've happened in a few weeks anyway. The brain damage risks…well, he'd deal with that if he had to.

"I remember, and I'm willing to take the risk." Klaus said quickly, his tone sincere and sure. In the state of mind Klaus was in, he'd already accepted death. Why not accept risk? There was just one thing that wasn't sitting right with him. One thing he needed to do before this surgery that might claim his life. And Elena was the perfect person to help him make it happen.

"But before I let this doctor cut my head open, I have a favor to ask you." Klaus said slowly, praying that his spur of the moment plan would work. Before he went under the knife, he was going to talk to Caroline.

He hoped.

* * *

Elena took a deep breath as she left Klaus's room. It was a really good thing she loved him, because otherwise, she would have to kill him for complicating her life even more than it already was.

Setting off down the hall to go make lodging arrangements for a certain arrogant doctor once he arrived in town, Elena wondered exactly what the odds were of landing into the precarious social situation she found herself in. Being roommates with Caroline and Rebekah (a decision she still wondered if she was going to regret) put her in the middle of two women who were going out of their way to avoid Klaus. Rebekah for family and history reasons. Caroline for…personal reasons. Oh, and then there was the little issue of Klaus's father (who couldn't even bare to look at Klaus these days) was her boss.

Elena tried to be sympathetic to Caroline at least. It had only been a matter of weeks since Tyler died, and she was still grieving, even if the two of them had been at each other's throats before he died. And after Caroline confessed with her night with Klaus to Elena, she knew that her blonde friend was going to have a hell of a time coming back from the guilt. Caroline wasn't a bad person, she wasn't the kind of woman who broke up with her fiancé, slept with another man, and then walked away as if nothing had happened.

And because of that, Caroline was avoiding Klaus like the plague. Or, that was Elena's theory anyway. She felt guilty, and piled on top of that, she didn't know how to deal with Klaus's mortality, so she stayed away. Though Caroline hadn't admitted that she was avoiding Klaus, Elena watched her enough at the hospital to know that she was avoiding the fifth floor at all costs.

That little fact hadn't slipped past Klaus's notice either. And while he seemed okay to let Caroline handle things in her own way before, now that Dr. Salvatore was on the way here to operate, he knew he might be out of time. Elena couldn't even stand to think about losing Klaus, but Klaus was facing the possibility of his own death with a set face. He was ready. But he did have one last thing that he wanted to do before the surgery.

Talk to Caroline.

And of course, he asked for Elena's help in making that happen since he was confined to his hospital bed.

Shoot her now. Please.

The last time Elena had suggested Caroline talking to Klaus after their night together, her normally amiable friend had bitten her head off. Twice. And now here she was, about to go back on the battle field.

It's like she said, it was a good thing she loved Klaus.

Feeling her phone vibrate in her jeans pocket, Elena quickly pulled it out and glanced down at the glowing screen as she walked. It was a text from a number she didn't recognize. Curious, Elena opened the text…and then quickly found herself rolling her eyes and deleting it, tucking her phone back into her jeans as if the whole thing had never happened.

Two words.

Damon Salvatore.

His text?

_Make sure you get a room with a king sized bed; I'm expecting company._

Really?

Expecting company?

And how did she know it was from Damon? Well, who else was arrogant enough to send something like that? Plus, he was the only one she was booking hotel room for.

How did someone with his reputation turn out to be such a man whore? Weren't doctors with that kind of credit supposed to be all studious and hardened? Not loose and full of cheap innuendos? God, this was going to be fun explaining to Dr. Mikaelson. The not-so-cheerful chief of staff hadn't been fond of her little venture to go find Dr. Salvatore in the first place, and he had only _very _reluctantly agreed to allow him to come and operate on Klaus. It seemed ridiculous to Elena that she practically had to beg Klaus's father to allow the man capable of saving his son's life to come here, but it was just another pill she had to swallow. All that mattered was that Mikael eventually agreed.

Now all she had to do was keep Damon from meeting Dr. Mikaelson until _after _he saved Klaus's life. That way, if Mikael threw Damon out on his ass, at least Klaus wouldn't suffer for it.

Shaking her head as she walked into the nurses' station, Elena quickly set to work on one of the computers booking a hotel room for Dr. Asshole. Thankfully, there was a five star hotel only a few blocks from the hospital that visiting doctors were normally housed in at the expense of the hospital. And fortunately for Mr. Man Whore, there were plenty of suites with king sized beds.

"Who's got you looking murderous?"

Turning at the sound of the interrupting voice, Elena grinned when she saw who it was. Alaric Saltzman, her godfather and recently, her uncle thanks to his marriage to her aunt Jenna. Or her second father, as she commonly referred to him as. The man had raised her since she was thirteen, and she owed him much more than she could ever hope to repay. Especially after everything he did to kick her younger brother Jeremy's ass into shape so he would graduate high school and make it to college. It had been nothing short of a miracle.

Punching the last of the information she needed to book the room, Elena quickly logged out of the computer and walked around the desk of the nurse's station so that she could pull her godfather into a hug. It had been weeks since she'd seen him, and his presence was a welcome distraction.

"Long time no see," Elena said with a smile as she pulled away from Alaric. Despite the ever changing trends in New York, it was good to know that Ric's style never changed. He never ventured far from his sturdy button downs and faded jeans. And thanks to his chosen career as a private investigator, fashion wasn't exactly an important factor to his success. "What brings you here?" she asked curiously.

Smiling down at his goddaughter, Alaric took a small step back from their hug and shrugged, "I was in the area, I'd thought I'd stop by. See what my brilliant goddaughter is up to." He said with a grin, clearly fishing at what had brought on her earlier foul mood. Despite having taught her everything about self-defense he could, Alaric had always been on high alert when he thought someone had offended Elena.

Deciding it was better to just bite the bullet and tell the truth, Elena spoke, "Just dealing with a new doctor. He's kind an asshole. But he's Klaus's best chance of pulling through this, so I have to play nice." She explained, dreading the words as she spoke them. As much as she would like to tell Dr. Salvatore what a dick she thought he was, she needed to play gracious host for the time being.

Alaric's eyebrows rose a fraction, "You found someone who can save Klaus?" he asked, a little bit of disbelief coloring his tone. It was becoming a city wide secret that the alleged arms dealer wasn't going to pull through his ailment. And thanks to Ric's position as Elena's family, he knew all about her search.

Nodding, Elena smiled a little, "Yeah. If anyone can do it, it's this guy. I just have to reframe from pushing him down the stairs until after the surgery." She teased…mostly. Okay, so she wouldn't push him down the stairs. But she might kick him in the nuts. Twice. Maybe a third time if he sent her another text.

Hey, even Elena Gilbert had limits.

Grinning, Ric moved towards her and put his arm around her shoulders, directing both of them towards the elevators that sat adjacent to the nurse's desk, "You know, your mother said almost the exact same thing about your dad after they met." He said with a chuckle, remembering the not so instant attraction between Grayson and Miranda. Now standing here with their daughter, he couldn't help but wonder; was history repeating itself?

Chuckling at the horrified look on Elena's face, Ric pressed the call button for the elevator once they reached it, "Come on, I'll buy you a bad cup of coffee and you can tell me all about Dr. Dick."

Great, Elena thought. Just great.

She had to come from genes that liked arrogant assholes.

Was it too late to go back to Paris?

* * *

_A Several Hours Later_

What the hell was he thinking?

Could he plead temporary insanity? A moment of weakness? Something that might better explain why he got on a plane and flew to New York for a case that was going to do detrimental damage to his reputation?

He'd only been in Mystic Falls, New York (what the hell kind of name was that for a city anyway?) for a little over two hours, and he was already chomping at the bit to get out of here and never return.

Damon might be brilliant…but this was a train wreck.

Not only was the patient weeks away from dropping dead from the massive tumor pressing on his parietal lobe, he was the chief of staff's son. That was just wonderful. So that way, when the surgery went wrong, not only would he be blamed as an arrogant incompetent who selfishly stole the last few weeks of a man's life because he wanted to prove how good he was, he would have Mikael Mikaelson's word following him around for years to come. The man who killed his son.

It really would've been nice if the all holy Dr. Gilbert had mentioned the patient's heritage before she took off.

Irritably slapping the file shut at one of the many nurse's desks in Mystic General, Damon made up his mind.

He wasn't doing the surgery.

It was a bad idea, and the last thing he needed was a dent in his record. No one would blame him for turning this down. No other doctor would take the case. In fact, he would probably get a pat on the back for not being foolish enough to take the case. He could just tell Dr. Mikaelson that he'd looked further into the case and agreed with the diagnosis from Klaus's original doctor; the tumor was inoperable. And he'd be checked out of the Falls Villa before Elena Gilbert could come knocking on his door for answers.

No, this wasn't exactly the most courageous way out, but the way Damon saw it, he didn't owe these people anything. None of them. They were all total strangers to him. And hey, he did what every other doctor consulted did. He gave it thought, he considered the options. But in the end, he decided that he couldn't reverse what nature brought about. No shame in that.

Sighing, Damon left the file on the desk, assuming that someone of interest would find it eventually. He was sure with all the drama surrounding this case that they had a file cabinet dedicated to the guy.

At a brisk pace, Damon set off down the hall. He didn't exactly know his way around this place, but he was familiar enough with hospitals to know generally where he needed to go. His rental car was down in the parking garage, and his stuff was down in the locker room an overly friendly nurse named Aimee had showed him earlier.

The plan; get his stuff, get his car, and get the hell out of dodge.

As he strode through the halls towards the elevators that led down to the locker room, Damon could almost hear Elena Gilbert's impassioned plea for Klaus's life all over again. God. He chooses now to have a crisis of conscience? No. No. No. He'd made up his mind, and that was it. Those beautiful brown eyes weren't going to convince him to lay his career on the line.

He'd made the mistake of following a woman blindly before, and he was NEVER going to make that mistake again.

A few minutes later, Damon was nearly done getting his things together. He'd left his borrowed lab coat on the hook in the locker. His stethoscope was packed away in his bag, and he was only feet from the door. He practically had blinders on as he slung his bag over his shoulder. Damon just needed to get out of here. No looking back. No second guessing.

Quickly by passing a staring nurse, Damon dodged out of the locker room, and the adjoining break room, making a b-line for the elevators that were only a matter of yards from the doorway. It was almost as if this part of the hospital had been designed for quick escapes. There was nothing standing in his way as his finger reached out and pressed down on the call button.

Until he heard a voice from behind him.

"You're Dr. Salvatore, right?"

Shit.

* * *

Caroline stood behind the quickly retreating doctor, an incredulous look coloring her face.

It had been sheer luck that she emerged from a patient's room just in time to see a glimpse of a handsome, and unfamiliar doctor practically running out of the locker room. From what little Elena had told her over various text messages, Caroline knew without asking that this was the man who was capable of saving Klaus's life.

And currently, he was obviously running away with his tail between his legs.

So much for the man who could do everything.

Back in the present moment, said doctor turned slowly to face her, looking a little than thrilled to have attention called to his name. He sized her up for a moment, looking kind of relieved. Maybe he thought she was Elena, coming to kick his ass for going back on his word. In his eyes, Caroline was no more than a nurse, questioning a doctor. Oh how wrong he was.

"Klaus Mikaelson's room is on the fifth floor. Room 515." Caroline said dryly, crossing her arms loosely over her chest as she stared expectantly at Dr. Salvatore.

A look that managed to convey both arrogance and guilt crossed Damon's face as he stood stock still in front of the elevator. Clearly this wasn't a conversation that he wanted to have. "There's been a change in plans. I won't be operating on the patient after all." Damon said in a reasonable tone. Cool and detached. Like he was talking about the weather.

Bristling, Caroline took another step forward, coming closer to the fleeing doctor. The positive pregnancy test that still sat in the pocket of her scrubs had never felt heavier. Maybe she didn't have the courage to go face Klaus right now. But she sure as hell had the courage to make this man go save his life. Yes, she was being a little hypocritical, but Caroline knew she would have to face Klaus soon. And she would do it. She just needed a little more time. Damon didn't have time. He needed to save Klaus's life now. "I guess your reputation doesn't do you justice. I was under the impression the infamous Dr. Salvatore had a backbone."

Subtlety had never been a strong suit of Caroline's.

Damon's face turned a little stormy as he took a step forward as well, ignoring the _ding _of the elevator as the doors slid open. "I don't need the opinion of some low ranking nurse. The patient is terminal, ask any doctor who's looked at his file." Damon defended, his eyes narrowing. There was a fire in his icy blue eyes, he'd clearly prepared this argument long before Caroline questioned him.

Returning the doctor's glare, Caroline moved forward again and tapped Damon's chest with her pointer finger, "Let me tell you something about this low ranking nurse," Caroline said in a low, determined tone, "I happen to care a lot about that patient you're so ready to write off as a lost cause. And if you're even half of what people say you are, then you'll get your ass upstairs and help him. Because otherwise, my first call is going to be to every major medical journal in the states to give them the big scoop about the fraud doctor who gets a patient's hopes up, only to crush them without even enough decency to grow a pair and go face the patient to tell them so!"

By the time Caroline finished, her voice had risen a few octaves, and her chest was rising and falling rapidly with her quick breath. Her hazel eyes burned with ferocity, and anyone from the outside looking in might think Caroline was about to punch Damon in the face.

Several long and tense moments of silence passed between the two of them, neither of them budging an inch. Damon studied Caroline with skeptical, yet wide eyes for a while before she could see a small change in his face. Some of the anger in his eyes was replaced by determination, and it seemed to her that he was reminded of something.

Finally, Damon nodded and his expression turned cool and business like again. He shrugged his bag back over his shoulder and stood up a little straighter. Looking down at Caroline, he gave her an icy expression, "I hope that's the first, and the last time you speak to a doctor that way."

With a brief nod, Damon walked past Caroline as if he hadn't just been verbally undressed by a nurse. But once he was a few feet away, he stopped for just a moment and said in a quiet tone, "This Klaus guy…he's lucky to have the friends that he does."

Caroline turned around, shocked to hear such a…well, human thing come from the doctor's lips, but he was already striding down the hall by the time she caught sight of him.

Well, Caroline thought with a slight smile, there was a human being in there after all.

Maybe.

Slowly, Caroline's hand wound up over her stomach. For the first time since she'd caught sight of Damon, she realized why she'd gotten so angry and ready to pounce on his cowardice.

She might be defending the father of her child.

* * *

_**Hello Again Lovelies! :D**_

_**First and foremost, I want to thank each and every one of you for your response to chapter one! I am so grateful that you guys took the time to read, review, favorite, and alert my story! I'm so thrilled that you guys liked chapter one! :D**_

_**I hope you guy liked this chapter too! (: I know it was still a little lack luster in the action department, but we're getting there. And we have something to get our appetites going, right? Klaus is enlisting Elena's help to get Caroline's attention, and it seems as though Alaric thinks that Elena is following in her mother's footsteps where Damon is concerned ;)**_

_**I promise you, action is coming! Klaus's surgery is just beyond the bend, and very soon we'll begin to see that Dr. Salvatore might not be as esteemed as we think. And there's still the issue of the paternity of Caroline's baby. For those of you who are wondering, there is the possibility of this being Tyler's baby too ;) **_

_**Assume nothing, because I've got curveballs coming, people ;)**_

_**I would love to hear from you guys in the reviews about what you thought? I really do love hearing from you guys! I value what you guys have to say, and it's great to know that you're invested! (:**_

_**Thanks so much again guys! **_

_**Until next time!**_

_**-Cilla :D **_


	3. Chapter Three

_**Guns N' Roses**_

_**Chapter Three: Moment Of Truth**_

So what?

So what if he got told off by some Barbie voiced blonde nurse?

Worse things had happened to him in his life.

He was thirty two years old, a verbal beat down from a nurse didn't even make the top ten.

Yet, somehow, it did.

Damon Salvatore had never been one for shame. It just wasn't who he was. What good did shame really do a person? Sitting around all red in the face and feeling sorry for yourself didn't do the world any good. It didn't change a single solitary thing. All it really accomplished was a bucket full of frown lines and made the people around you want to punch you in the face for some relief.

He knew.

His little brother was like the pope of shame.

Damon, however, wasn't. Until, that is. As he stood in that hallway, facing the wrath of the very attractive, and equally annoying blonde nurse pleading for Klaus's life, Damon had never felt more ashamed of his actions than he did in that moment. She made him feel like a coward. Like some slithering excuse of a man who didn't deserve to be standing in the shoes he filled.

It was honestly one of the worst moments in his life in the social department. And here he thought it was going to be easy to walk away. So much for that. There was no chance of him walking away now. Not with Blondie's threats hanging over his head. She may have only been a nurse, but any medical journal that was fond of reputation tracking would want this story. They could finally take the esteemed Dr. Damon Salvatore down a few notches.

Well, not on his watch. If Klaus Mikaelson died, it was going to be because there was no human way possible to save his life. And after the effort he was going to put it, no one would be stupid enough to argue that Klaus's death had anything to do with Damon.

Truthfully, Damon knew that the patient's chances were slim to none at this point. And if he made it through the surgery, his odds of being unaffected by any sort of brain damage were nonexistent. A million to one, basically. But Damon was still going to try. No called him a coward.

He'd had a remarkably unpleasant conversation with Dr. Mikaelson about this little turn of events just a few minutes before. The older man was none too pleased to see him back in a lab coat, coming to tell him that he was going to give the surgery a chance. At first Damon thought that the chief of staff was going to refuse, but after several minutes of working his magic, Dr. Mikaelson finally agreed to allow the operation, per Klaus's permission.

It surprised Damon a little how uninvested Mikael seemed in his own son. He honestly didn't seem to care one way or another whether or not Klaus even lived. And Damon had already heard through the grapevine that despite the fact that Klaus was laying in hospital bed on the fifth floor, Mikael hadn't spoken to his kid in years.

And Damon thought his own father was an asshole.

Shaking away the thoughts of failed fathers, Damon redirected his thoughts to the task at hand. Making sure the patient was on board. Obviously he'd had the risks explained to him more than once at this point, but Damon liked to do that job himself. He was realist, and he never sugarcoated anything. And while he appreciated the usefulness of a bedside manner, there was a time and a place for it. And right before life threatening surgery wasn't it.

Coming to a stop in front of Klaus's room, Damon grabbed his chart from the plastic holder on the door. He didn't need to see the information again, he knew that file like the back of his hand already, but it tended to make patients pay more attention when their doctor was holding their charts. It's like they thought some paper and a hunk of plastic held the power of life and death.

If only it were that easy.

Without preamble, Damon opened the door and strode in. Inside, a man close to his age, maybe a few years older looked up with an unreadable expression. What struck Damon as odd was the way the man's hand flashed to his side…like he was reaching for a gun. It was a common move of law enforcement officials when they felt threatened. But Damon knew for a fact that Klaus Mikaelson was not a cop. In fact, his employment seemed to be a matter of debate and mystery. Great.

"Mr. Mikaelson," Damon greeted with a nod of his head, moving to stand a few feet away from Klaus's bed, "I'm Dr. Salvatore." He introduced. It seemed as though everyone in this hospital already knew who he was, but he figured he'd be polite and do the honors anyway. Thanks to Klaus's closeness to Dr. Gilbert, Damon figured he already had the scoop, though.

Nodding, Klaus's expression didn't change much. He took Damon in quickly, scanning him over like he was looking for any sign of a threat. Once he seemed satisfied, he nodded again and spoke, "So you're the one Elena tracked down to attempt to save my life." It wasn't a question.

You know, Damon thought, for a dying man, he sure doesn't seem very pleased with the prospect of living. Maybe he'd just already fallen into the melancholy of death acceptance. It had to suck pretty bad when you get told by every doctor called in that there's no hope for you.

"The very one," Damon said shortly before getting on to his main point of coming in here, "I'm sure by now you've been walked through all the risks of the surgery. There's a lot of risk with any surgery, but we're talking about a massively invasive procedure. With the size of the tumor and the procedure required to remove it, you have a very high risk of permanent brain damage, and a very high risk of hemorrhaging." Damon explained in a methodical tone. This was probably nothing new to Klaus, but Damon wanted to make sure his little bestie Elena Gilbert hadn't given him the sunshine and rainbows version.

However, before Klaus could respond, a voice from behind them spoke.

"I've gone over the risks of the surgery extensively with Mr. Mikaelson, Dr. Salvatore. You don't need to give him a round of doom and gloom to reflate your ego after nurse Forbes scolded you."

Well, there was only one person in this hospital who would have to bring that up in front of the patient.

Elena Gilbert.

Damon truly did hope she wouldn't find out about his near back out. As angry as nurse Forbes had been, something told him that the brunette wouldn't have stopped with verbally putting him in his place after all the trouble she went through to find him. The woman was such an odd contradiction off way too serious and reserved, and fiercely passionate. Yes, he could in fact tell all that from knowing her for a matter of hours.

And right now, the way too serious side was showing.

Striding into the room as if she owned the place, Elena came to stand on the other side of Klaus's bed. She shot him a reassuring look before she turned her chocolate eyes on him. At once, the warmth in her eyes vanished. It was replaced by a cold disappointment. "If you would have come to find me when you arrived instead of wasting everyone's time, I could've told you that Klaus knows all the risks, and he gave his consent to the surgery this morning." She informed him primly.

Feeling his jaw clench a little, Damon felt his defenses rise. He was getting really tired of being told off today. He got it, he screwed up. Did everyone and their brother need to remind him of it? "If you'd been around to receive me as you should have, I guess I would've known." Damon responded in a casual tone before he flipped open Klaus's chart. He didn't need anything from it, it just gave him the excuse to avert his eyes. He could almost hear the eye roll that followed. "Have you booked the OR yet?" Damon asked a moment later, his tone still just as casual as before.

Casual was the best deflection in Damon's mind. Act like you don't give a shit, and people stop trying to make you guilty after a while. They took their woes to someone who would listen, or care.

There was a silence in the room and Damon raised his icy blue eyes from the chart to see Klaus and Elena exchanging a meaningful look. Having no idea what was going on, he just waited for one of them to explain. Surely they didn't want to delay the surgery? He'd flown in for this, and Klaus was on a serious time crunch. Attempting to beat death and all.

"What?" Damon finally asked, impatience beginning to creep into his tone. This is why doctors shouldn't be allowed to be involved in their friends' cases. Too messy.

Damon expected Elena to be the one to respond, but it was Klaus who spoke first, his accented tone leaving no room for any sort of argument. "I want the surgery as soon as possible, but not until I've done one last thing. Once that's done, you're free to play slice and dice with my head, mate."

Oh, so the stoic dude did have some spunk. Good to know. There was something in Klaus's eyes that hadn't been there before. Like a fire had been lit. And no matter what anyone said, he wasn't going to budge on this one. Touching. Shaking his head, Damon slapped the chart shut and gave Klaus a frank look, "Whatever you need to cross off your bucket list, do it quick. Have Dr. Gilbert get the OR booked as soon as you've done it."

With that, Damon turned on his heel and strode from the room. Whatever the guy needed to do had better have been important. This wasn't a fairy tale where a happy ending was practically guaranteed on the front page. This was reality. And just because Damon agreed to do this surgery didn't mean Klaus was going to walk off into the sunset.

* * *

"He's charming." Klaus said dryly once the raven haired doctor had vanished from the room. What was that Dr. Seuss rhyme about the Grinch? As cuddly as a cactus? Yes, that about summed up Damon Salvatore.

But hey, dying beggars can't be choosers.

Apparently the obnoxious doctor was one of the best, though. So Klaus would at least attempt not to judge him just yet. That, and if Damon already had a run in with an angry Caroline Forbes, chances are he had paid for his attitude. Severely.

That expression about hell hath no fury like a woman scorn, well, it's never been quite as true for any other woman the way it was about Caroline Forbes. At least in Klaus's mind. He'd seen her call up a storm more than once, so it was safe to say that good ole Dr. Salvatore had his ass handed to him on a silver platter.

Klaus couldn't help but smile a little at the information Elena had offered. Maybe he was just flattering his own ego, but it seemed as though Caroline had acted on his behalf. He overheard a passing nurse say that Damon had changed his mind twice about doing the surgery and that the chief of staff, AKA his father, was pissed beyond all belief.

Now he hears that Caroline had scolded Dr. Salvatore. Why else would she do that if not for his sake? Over the whole backing out of the surgery thing? Damon had only been in Mystic Falls for a matter of hours, what else could he have done to earn Caroline's wrath so quickly?

His smile grew a little more.

Back in the world outside his own ego, Elena shot him an apologetic look as her expression and posture returned to normal. It seemed as though just being around Dr. Salvatore had Elena's defenses on high alert. Klaus could honestly count the times number of times he'd heard Elena be anything but kind to people on one hand. She was normally polite and easy going. But something about Damon Salvatore shot that straight to hell.

It was actually kind of funny.

Not that Klaus would ever dare speak that out loud. He valued however much of his life he had left too much.

"I'm sorry. If he wasn't capable of saving your life, I never would've let him within a hundred yards of this hospital." Elena promised, her eyes flashing towards the door, clearly not thrilled with this situation.

Klaus wasn't stupid, he knew this whole thing with his health had been a struggle for Elena. Not only did she have to worry for his life, she had to except that she couldn't save him. Elena was a brilliant doctor –brilliant in general really, she graduated high school two years early thanks to her efforts- and the work and research she had done with drug therapy had saved countless lives. But, unfortunately, his wouldn't be one of them.

"He won't be here long," Klaus assured her with a grin, but it was a short lived one. Quickly, his mind returned to the last conversation he'd had with Elena, and judging by the look on her face as she looked back at him, her mind had gone to the same place. Was that because it hadn't gone well? Or maybe she had even asked Caroline to come down here yet?

Christ.

He sounded like an over-emotional teenage girl.

Before Klaus could ask though, Elena spoke, "Listen, I spoke to Care a little while ago," she began, her eyes flashing towards the door again before she went on, "I didn't get a straight answer out of her, but don't worry. She'll do the right thing." Elena assured Klaus in a soft tone, reaching out and squeezing his arm.

Klaus nodded, hoping that Elena was right about that. He couldn't exactly blame Caroline for not wanting to come see him…but selfishly, if this was his last day on this earth, he just wanted to see her one last time. "Thank you for talking to her." He said quietly, catching Elena's hand as she drew it back from his shoulder. Looking up into the face of the woman he'd called his best friend since childhood, he gave her an endearing smile, "You've always been a much better friend to me than I deserve."

Of that much, Klaus was sure. Elena had endured a lot over the years for being his friend, and she had never once complained. She never blamed him. She never got fed up and walked out. Her friendship had been all he had at one point in his life, and that gratitude would never lessen.

Elena blinked rapidly and Klaus could tell she was fighting back tears. She squeezed his hand and her expression turned a little stern, "Don't talk like you're saying goodbye. We're going to get you through this." She promised. With another smile, she released Klaus's hand and started off for the door, clearly needing to get back to work. But at the door she stopped and looked back at him with a grin, "But, you know, if you're looking for a way to thank me for all that friendship, there is something you can do."

Cocking his head to the side with a questioning expression, Klaus asked curiously, "What's that?"

"When, not if, you come out of this on the other side, I expect you to stop playing Man Of Honor and tell a certain friend of ours that you're in love with her."

Without another word, Elena left the room, leaving Klaus alone with his thoughts once again.

Shaking his head, Klaus wondered if Elena had the ability to read his mind. He had never actually spoken those words aloud to anyone. Perhaps he needed to work on his poker face?

It wasn't that much of a surprise to Klaus that Elena knew. After all, it had to be kind of obvious. Because Klaus had only romantically loved one woman in his entire life, and that was Caroline. Since Elena had been there through it all, surely she could see the difference?

Klaus had a feeling that was why Elena was pushing so hard for Caroline to come and speak with him, and for Klaus to admit his feelings for the fiery blonde. The only problem was, did Caroline feel the same? After losing Tyler and suffering the guilt in the middle of her grief, did she really want to play the death bed visit game?

This was undeniably easier for Klaus that it was for Caroline. He had been unattached the whole time. And he wasn't the one grieving for an ex-fiancé. And of course, there was the little fact that if he died, he didn't have to deal with any of this.

It was funny to consider himself the lucky one when he was the dying man.

"Klaus?"

Did she…?

Klaus looked up towards the door at the sound of the voice that called his name and his stormy blue eyes widened a little. Almost as if summoned by desire, his last wish was staring him in the face.

Literally.

Caroline Forbes was standing in the doorway.

* * *

Elena stood at the nurses desk once again, looking through the OR schedule and looking for the soonest opening for Klaus's surgery. Thanks to the urgency of his condition, she could move more minor surgeries around if need be.

She sighed quietly as she scanned the schedule, she really hoped that Caroline was going to do the right thing. She knew that Caroline cared for Klaus, too. And she also knew that if Klaus didn't make it, Caroline would regret not going to see him for the rest of her life.

But after the conversation she'd had with her earlier…Elena had some doubts.

_~~~Flashback~~~_

"_Caroline, can I talk to you for a second?" Elena asked as she walked into the break room and found Caroline sitting at one of the tables, looking glumly at a mug of untouched tea. _

_Caroline looked up at Elena's voice and nodded silently, shooting her friend a small smile as she patted the seat of the chair next to her. It was obvious to Elena that there was something weighing heavily on Caroline's mind. After having heard about Caroline's little tangle with Damon, Elena had thought she would be a little happier._

_She had just helped save Klaus's life._

_Elena walked over and joined Caroline at the table. She reached over and patted Caroline's shoulder softly, "I hear I owe you a pretty big thanks. Maxine told me you put Dr. Salvatore in his place." She said encouragingly. Actually, Maxine had said that Caroline made Damon look like a spineless little prick, but Elena thought she'd give the PG version._

_Caroline gave Elena a grateful look and gave a small, breathy laugh, "That's one way to put it. I know I was out of line, but that…that asshole was about to walk out on Klaus's surgery! And he wasn't even going to tell him!" Caroline suddenly flared up, glaring towards the door like she was considering going back for round two. _

_Elena nodded, her face no less frustrated. She hadn't spoken to Damon yet herself, but when she did, it wasn't going to be pretty. There was such a lack of integrity and ethics to that little stunt Dr. Salvatore had pulled, and God knew Dr. Mikaelson was going to have her ass on a platter for bringing him here. But that could wait. Thanks to Caroline, Damon was going to honor the commitment he made. _

"_I know, but crisis averted. Thanks to you. We can take Damon down after the surgery." Elena teased, hoping to lighten Caroline's mood a little. She had something to talk to her about, and chances are, it could be a touchy subject. But she gave Klaus her word that she would try, so that's what she was going to do. _

_Caroline stayed tense for a few moments before she sighed and nodded, her lips turning up a little, "You've always been more forgiving than me. If I were you, I'd push his ass down the staircase." _

_Elena giggled, but she wasn't 100% sure that Caroline was joking. If there was anything to know about Caroline Forbes, it was that she would do anything for the people she cared about. Crossing lines included. "Maybe some day," Elena joked before her expression sobered a little. She needed to get down to business. "Care…listen, there's something I need to ask you to do."_

_Silently, Caroline's own expression sobered, but there was a hint of guilt in her eyes now. "You came down here to ask me to talk to Klaus, didn't you?" she guessed._

_Nodding, Elena took a deep breath and went on, "Yes. Look, I know you've had too much to deal with recently, and I'm sorry to push you. In a perfect world, I'd let you do it in your own time. But Klaus needs surgery, and I'm scheduling it, hopefully, for tonight or tomorrow morning. And I really think you should talk to him before that." _

_It was more than that, of course, but Elena didn't want Caroline to think this was solely Klaus's idea. This was something Caroline needed to do, no matter how hard it might be for her. Elena felt horrible for pressuring her after everything she'd been through, but she was out of wait time. Or rather, Klaus and Caroline were._

_Caroline bit her lower lip for a moment, her hand drifting to the heart pendant she wore around her neck. She stayed silent for a few moments before she spoke, "I just…I don't know what to say to him, Elena. We didn't plan that night, and we didn't make any promises after it was over. And then when I heard about Ty…I guess I feel like I'm spitting on his memory by spending time with Klaus…" Caroline trailed off, and Elena almost instantly got the feeling that there was more to this story than just that. _

"_Care…I know this isn't easy, but talking to Klaus isn't spitting on Tyler's grave. This isn't just another day. Klaus is dying, and he doesn't have time to wait until it's convenient for all of us to face this. And, as much as I hate to even think of it, if this is Klaus's last day of life, don't you want to spend that time with him?" Elena questioned._

"_I do," Caroline agreed, but her face still looked doubtful, "It's just…it's a lot. There's so much that happened all at once…and going to see him now, I don't know what to say. I don't know if I should say goodbye, or if I should talk about that night…I just…" Once again Caroline trailed off, and Elena could see her face pale a little. Whatever was going on was clearly more difficult to deal with than Elena knew, but she wasn't going to just back off._

_Nodding, Elena stood up from the chair, placing her hand on Caroline's shoulder and squeezing it gently, "I know you have a lot to deal with. And if you need to talk, I'm here for you. But right now…just know that Klaus really wants to see you." When Caroline nodded, Elena made to leave the room, figuring Caroline needed to be left alone with her thoughts. But she stopped midway there, deciding to tell Caroline the whole truth, "Caroline, Klaus told Damon and I that there was only one thing he wanted to do before he goes in the OR, and that was talk to you. This means the world to him…and I think if you let go of some of the things standing in your way, you'll realize how important it is to you, too."_

_~~~End Flashback~~~_

Elena had done all she could, short of dragging Caroline up to that room by her hair.

Now all she could do was hope Caroline made the right choice. Much like the unruly doctor Caroline kept from making a big mistake as well. It was funny, Damon and Caroline clearly had little tolerance for one another, but they were both sitting in the same boat. Maybe that's why Caroline had gotten so heated?

After having finished getting the OR booked, Elena logged off the computer and grabbed the chart of one of her other patients from beside her. She planned to assist Dr. Salvatore in the OR, but until then, she needed to get back to work.

Well, she would.

Right after she had a word with Damon.

Right as Elena looked up, she noticed Damon standing off in one of the waiting areas, chatting with one of the new nurses. Obviously awed, the nurse was grinning and giggling like a girl as Damon flashed that megawatt smile.

Looks like she'd be spoiling his game twice.

Striding over to the overconfident doctor, Elena fixed him with a stony expression as she came to a stop a few feet from him. "Can I have a moment with Dr. Salvatore, nurse Jenkins?" Elena asked in a polite tone.

Clearly shocked at the intrusion, the young woman nodded and trotted off down the hall, glancing over her shoulder every couple of seconds to smile at Damon.

Damon grinned and returned her smile, raising his hand to wave at her with wriggling fingers before he turned to Elena with a less than kind expression. "Please don't give me the 'you fucked up' speech. I get it. It won't happen again. Your little friend covered all the bases, and you ensured the patient knew all about it. Let it go." Damon advised, his icy blue eyes locked on hers.

Elena was a little taken aback at Damon's frankness. And she almost squirmed under the intensity of his gaze. God, why did he have to be so smoldering? It was like looking at Adonis for God's sake!

But…okay, as angry as Elena was, maybe Damon had a point. He'd been chewed out already. She didn't really need to do it again. Truthfully, that would be more about her own ego than Damon's mistake. So, she changed her mind. She decided to try playing nice for a change.

Nodding, Elena acknowledged his comment, and instead said in a kinder tone, "You're right, I do need to let it go." Unless he did something like this again. In which case, she would be reporting his ass to the board so fast his head would spin. Giving him a kinder look, Elena bit the bullet, "Thank you."

Clearly confused by the sudden change, Damon's brow furrowed and he gave her a questioning look, "For what?"

"For coming here, for agreeing to do the surgery…for trying to save my best friend. Thank you. I know you're taking a really big risk by doing this, and I'm really grateful you're trying. So, thank you."

If Damon looked confused before, it was nothing to how he looked now. Shock colored his features as clear as day. Wordlessly, Elena smiled at him before she stepped around him and headed down the hall towards her patient's room, unaware that Damon's eyes followed her the whole way.

* * *

Caroline stood in the doorway of Klaus's hospital room, never having felt feeling unsure of herself in her entire life. It was ridiculous to feel like this…but it's not like she was just visiting a random friend who got into a car accident.

This was a man she slept with.

A man who could be the father of her child.

And a man who might not be alive twenty four hours from now.

No pressure.

It was weird, seeing Klaus after so many weeks apart. For months, Caroline had seen Klaus at least four times a week. It had become routine for them to meet up at Bobby's, or the Gable Bridge downtown that overlooked the park. It had become one of the best parts of Caroline's day. A time when she could relax and have fun, and be totally honest and open. With the way things had gotten with Tyler, it was such a relief to be able to joke and tease without being accused of alternate meanings.

And God knew how much she missed talking to Klaus. She'd picked up the phone and dialed his number more times than she could count, but she'd never actually hit 'send'. She couldn't. Every time she did, she would get this flash of Tyler's face and she'd be so crushed with guilt that she'd change her mind.

Yes, Tyler had been unfaithful first, and yes, she broke up with him before she and Klaus slept together, but still. Tyler had been the man she was going to marry. And when he was out being murdered, she was sleeping soundly in Klaus's arms. How was she supposed to avoid the guilt from that?

Then, a few days ago when she learned she was pregnant, she really didn't know how to face Klaus. He was dying! Was she supposed to tell him that he might be the father? Or should she spare him that knowledge when he might not live to see the sonogram?

Someone really should've written a manual for this.

Because now as she walked into Klaus's room, seeing him lying in that bed with a look filled with hope, she felt lost. But, she needed to face her fears. Speaking wasn't that difficult. "Hi." She said softly as she came to a stop a few feet from Klaus's bed, her fingers knotted nervously together.

Klaus's expression softened a little at her voice and his lips turned up slightly at the edges, "Hi."

Seeing the joy in Klaus's eyes at her arrival gave her a pang of guilt to feel within the pit of her stomach. She shouldn't have waited so long to come and see him, and she shouldn't have made him get Elena to practically drag her ass in here. She was Caroline Forbes, and she didn't do fear. Occasion hysteria, yes. But not fear.

"How are you feeling?" Caroline asked a moment later, her eyes scanning over him for any sign of changes. Even though she hadn't seen him in weeks, she checked over his chart every single day since he was admitted to the hospital to make sure he was being taken care of.

Klaus's expression shifted to one of teasing and he shrugged, "I'm fine, other than that pesky tumor. No big deal." He joked, as if there wasn't a clock ticking on his mortality. That was one of the things Caroline loved about Klaus. He was slow to panic, and even slower to being over emotional. He had a temper, but it rarely flared around her. It made for a nice balance between them. When she freaked out, he was calm. When he was furious, she could pull him from it.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline gave him a dry smile, "Ha ha you're _so _funny." She said sarcastically. But the humor quickly faded from her face. This wasn't exactly a time for joking. She needed to decide now if she was going to tell Klaus about the baby…and she needed to find a way to say goodbye…in case…

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Caroline said a moment later, her hazel eyes focused on Klaus's. Looking back at him now, Caroline had to acknowledge that this might be the last time she ever spoke to him. The thought weighed more heavily on her heart than she ever thought it would…especially now that she was with him.

Klaus's own expression sobered as he looked back at her, but there was no trace of anger of resentment in his eyes. "I understand why you stayed away, Caroline. Don't worry yourself over that." He advised softly.

Something about the kindness in Klaus's face broke down Caroline's desire to handle this calmly. She just couldn't do it anymore. In an instant, all the moments they'd spent together came rushing to her mind, and the grief of knowing they may never get those again came crashing into her like tidal wave.

Tears rushed to the blonde's eyes and she quickly abandoned her place feet from Klaus's bed. Without hesitation she came to his side, climbing on to the side of the bed next to him. Wordlessly, Klaus wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she curled into his side, inhaling the sharp scent of his skin, feeling the warmth of his body next to hers.

Caroline laid her head down on Klaus's chest, one her hands resting next to her cheek. The tears that filled her eyes finally escaped down her cheeks, leaving her skin wet with tear tracks. "I need you." Caroline admitted in a whisper, her tone sounding like a broken plea.

And it was true. She did need Klaus. He had become such a huge piece of her world…a huge piece of her heart. He could be the father of her child. How could she just walk out of this room and accept he might be gone by tomorrow night? How?

She felt Klaus's hand in her hair, gently stroking it away from her face as he bent to kiss her cheek. His touch sent sparks across her skin as it always did…but it was more than that. Being with Klaus gave her a peace that nothing else did. Even if it was a peace filled with fear.

In the silence, tears continued to roll down Caroline's cheeks as her body shook with her cries. Every emotion she'd forced to stay away over the last few weeks all came bubbling to the surface, and there was nothing she could do to stop it anymore. She'd held back too long. All that fear and care and grief and worry were too heavy to hold anymore.

There were just too many factors that were playing into this. Klaus's life was on the line, and the odds of the surgery being a success were slim. And even if the surgery went well, there was a large chance Klaus would sustain hefty brain damage. And here Caroline was in the middle of that, possibly pregnant with Klaus's baby.

Caroline had never felt more conflicted or terrified in her life, and even now that she was lying here in Klaus's arms, she still didn't know what the right thing to do was. There was so much to consider here. If the baby was Tyler's, then she would have worried or excited Klaus for no reason. What if he didn't even want to be a father?

God what a mess.

Klaus continued to hold her, his face filled with an odd mixture of peace and pain. Anyone looking in would've been able to see that there was little the man treasured more than the woman in his arms.

And that's where the spark in his eyes came from. The fire that had ignited in his cobalt blue eyes as soon as he saw Caroline again.

"I'm going to fight with everything I have to come back to you, Caroline." Klaus promised quietly, his accented tone giving the words a richness in their promise.

Wordlessly, Caroline nodded against Klaus's chest, praying that he would find his way back to her. But until then, she just couldn't bring herself to tell him about the child that may, or may not be his. He needed to focus on fighting for his life.

She just prayed that was enough.

* * *

Hello Lovelies :D

Thank you so much for returning for chapter three! :) I hope you guys enjoyed it. Things are starting to speed up, and be prepared for some serious drama from here on out ;) In the next couple of chapters, you'll begin to see some of the dangers of Klaus's world, and some of the ghosts of Damon's past.

And of course, some more Delena and Klaroline ;)

I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter up. I started school this week. Blegh. So I will probably go to updating once a week. That way I can be sure the chapters won't be shorted :)

Thank you guys so much again for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting! I appreciate the support and love so so much! I'm thrilled you guys like the story! I would LOVE to continue hearing from everyone! (:

Until next time!

Love, Cilla :D


	4. Chapter Four

_**Guns N' Roses**_

**Chapter Four: Leap Of Faith**

Caroline stood in the break room, trying and failing to calm her nerves. How was she supposed to calm down? Any moment now Klaus's surgery would begin, and his life would be resting solely in the hands of Dr. Salvatore. The thought did little to ease her racing thoughts.

She had hoped that she would feel at least a little more at ease after she finally faced Klaus, but standing here now, Caroline was sure her heart felt no less heavy. It had been such a relief to see him, and to hear him say that he was going to fight to come back to her, but none of that changed what was going on right now. And that didn't change the fact that she still hadn't been able to work up the nerve to tell Klaus he might be a father.

It amazed Caroline how complicated her life had become over the last couple of months. It's not that her life had always been easy, it hadn't, she just felt more in control of things before now. She was proactive and took initiative and refused to be pushed around. Usually that combination left her with very little insecurity in her world.

The problem was that Caroline was out of things to do now. Her proactive persona was useless right now. There was nothing she could do right now but pray that Damon could pull off a miracle. Klaus had better have meant what he said about fighting with everything he had. He was going to need that strength.

It made Caroline feel a little bit better that Elena was in the OR with Damon, assisting with the surgery. At least there was someone in there with a compassionate bone in their body.

Sighing, Caroline shoved away from the counter and headed out of the room, too pent up to stay still.

At a brisk pace, the agitated blonde quickly departed the break room and found herself instinctively going towards the elevators. The way down to the OR. Caroline had thought she would be able to handle quietly waiting for Elena to come get her after the surgery, but she couldn't. She needed to be doing something. Even if it was just directly watching what was happening.

After pressing the call button for the elevator a good ten times, the doors finally slid open with a sharp _ding_. However, the sterile smelling transport wasn't vacant. A man in his mid thirties, sporting a cold and irritable expression came bolting from the doors, seeming like he was too frustrated to care what floor he was even getting off on. But when he noticed Caroline there, his expression mellowed out a little in relief.

"Finally," he said quickly. The man had an accent Caroline couldn't quite pinpoint, but if she had to guess, she'd say he was Russian. His thick tongued tone was nothing like a New York native. "For a hospital, there is a remarkable lack of doctors." The man said, gesturing around as if the proof were painted on the walls. Shaking his head, the man asked, "Can you tell me where Klaus Mikaelson's room is?"

Klaus?

Caroline's forehead scrunched together a little. Why would some Russian dude want to know where to find Klaus? Klaus had been here for weeks and thus far he had only had a short list of visitors, and none of them Russian. Klaus didn't have a big group of friends, and his family was British.

So that left the one option Caroline really didn't want to consider.

Business.

She knew all about Klaus's suspected crimes, and the very real dangers of his life. Klaus had never tried to hide them from her. And God knew that Tyler had harped about Klaus for months. In fact, it was that danger that gave Caroline even more cause not to tell Klaus about the baby. She was scared for her child's safety as much as she was for Klaus's…more really.

Which is what led Caroline to lie through her teeth.

"He's not a patient at this hospital anymore."

Maybe this whole thing was just a weird coincidence, but this guy was making Caroline's skin crawl. And more often than not, she trusted her gut when it came to people. And when Klaus was involved, she wasn't going to take any chances.

The man studied her for a few moments, his face full of skepticism. But when Caroline didn't say anything else, he finally gave her a stiff nod. She wasn't sure if he believed her or not, but he seemed content to move on. "Thank you for your help." He said quickly before he turned and climbed back on the elevator he'd come off of just before the doors closed.

_That was weird_, Caroline thought as she hit the call button again, waiting for the second elevator to open. Maybe she could ask Elena if Klaus actually had any…out of country friends, or if she should be worried about the nameless man that had just disappeared from view.

As Caroline stepped on to the second elevator, her thoughts drifted away from her odd encounter with the man in the hall and back to Klaus. She knew that everything that could possibly be done for him was being done, but it did little to calm her racing heart. The thought of losing Klaus…or having him wake up changed forever by brain damage…she couldn't even process that.

Subconsciously, her hand drifted towards her stomach again, as if to shield her unborn child from her thoughts of losing who might be the father.

Sighing as the elevators doors slid open on the first floor, Caroline wondered how she was going to make it through the next few hours without having an emotional breakdown. She probably should have picked up another shift and stayed busy while Klaus was in surgery, but she'd been terrified that she would have done harm to someone with her frazzled nerves.

There really was no way to win here.

Caroline walked quickly through the halls, heading towards the observation rooms that shouldered the OR. Knowing that Klaus lived a somewhat secluded lifestyle, she figured that no one would be there to mind if she stood and watched. Maybe being able to see what was going on would help?

But as Caroline walked into the observation room for OR four, where Klaus's surgery was about to take place, she realized that she wasn't alone.

Rebekah stood before the viewing window, nervously tapping her foot, arms crossed, as she tried to get a good look at her older brother. When the door opened, her head flashed to the side, checking to see who had come in. Rebekah took a quick sigh of relief when she saw it was Caroline.

Caroline felt a surge of both pity and pride at seeing her friend here. Rebekah and Klaus hadn't been close for years, and Rebekah avoided hospitals at all costs. Caroline honestly didn't think Rebekah would show up. "I'm glad you came." Caroline said quietly as she walked over to her roommate and put her arm around Rebekah's shoulders as she stood by her side.

Rebekah nodded silently, sniffling a little as she turned her gaze back to the window. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline could see tears pooling in Rebekah's eyes as she struggled to contain her emotions. For as long as Caroline had known Bekah, the British blonde had never been fond of appearing vulnerable in front of other people. It was probably the result of her upbringing. But there was no hiding from this.

"Dr. Salvatore is the best in his field, Rebekah. Klaus is going to pull through this." Caroline encouraged kindly, trying to convince herself of those words as much as she was Rebekah.

Inside the OR, Dr. Salvatore, Elena, and a few assisting nurses were prepping for the surgery. It looked as though Klaus were already under the anesthesia, though Caroline could just barely see Elena's hand clasped in Klaus's.

"I've been such a horrible sister." Rebekah suddenly whispered, the tears escaping her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. Her blue eyes were locked on her brother, as if she were willing him to live. Guilt was evident all over her face as she watched the surgeon prepare to attempt to save her brother's life.

Caroline's expression softened and she pulled Rebekah to the side so she could hug her. She'd seen these attacks of guilt and remorse more times than she could count in her time as a nurse, but it never hit this close to home before. Because the truth of the matter was that Caroline hadn't been a very good friend, either.

In so many ways, almost everyone in Klaus's life had failed him in a way that loved ones never should. So many of his loved ones refused to forgive him, to accept him. Even now, the man was fighting for his life, and only his sister had turned up to stand by his side.

As Rebekah sobbed into her shoulder, Caroline said a silent prayer as she held on to her friend as if they were all that was holding them both together.

_Just let him live. Let him come back to us so we can show him how much we care about him. Don't let him leave this world believing that everyone he loves turned their backs on him for good. _

_Bring him back for his sister._

_For his family._

_For Elena._

_For me._

…

_For our child._

* * *

Elena took a few deep breaths as she methodically scrubbed her hands under the warm water of the faucet. Her heart felt as though it was going to beat straight out of her chest. In fact, she was pretty sure she could it thumping madly in her ears.

It was funny, Elena had felt nervous about assisting with a surgery since her first residency in medical school. She was a wreck that day. Had it not been for Alaric's fifteen minute pep talk over Skype, she probably would've run from the building to drop out. But she'd done it, and from then on it had become like second nature to her.

Until now.

Because this wasn't just one of her patients that she could remain objective about. This was her best friend.

In some ways, she wished she had taken Dr. Mikaelson's advice and not opted to assist in the surgery because of the conflict of interest. But the thought of standing idly by and waiting for Damon to emerge from the OR with the news was unbearable. She, selfishly, wanted to be in the room, ready to do whatever she could.

And if by some chance she couldn't handle it, she would turn the reins over to one of the OR nurses and stay out of the way.

So wrapped up in thought, Elena didn't even notice Damon enter the room and move to the sink next to her. The sound of the second faucet turning on grabbed her attention, and she looked to the side to see Damon scrubbing his own hands, his expression as sober as she'd ever seen it. Well, at least he wasn't smirking.

"Are you sure you can handle this, Dr. Gilbert?" Damon asked a moment later, not taking his eyes off his hands as he carefully scrubbed in between his fingers.

Was it that obvious that she was nervous? If Damon Salvatore notices something off about your expression, isn't that a sign that you're losing it? "I'm sure. If I wasn't, I wouldn't go in there." Elena said calmly, turning the faucet off with her elbow and holding her damp hands up, preventing herself from accidentally brushing against something.

Damon nodded and continued to wash his hands, seeming content with her answer. Elena wondered if he hadn't softened a little towards her since their last conversation…or if surgery just kicked his ass out of being a dick. Either way, she was kind of enjoying the less snarky side of Dr. Salvatore.

"Are you?" Elena asked a moment later, studying Damon's face closely for any sign of reservation. She couldn't help it. This surgery had chased away half the doctors in the state in the neurological field. And she wanted to be sure that all Damon's doubts were gone before he walked into that OR.

Perhaps she was being too much the Mother Hen, but someone had to. Klaus's own mother was too busy trying to keep up the appearance of being the perfect wife to care that her son was fighting for his life. And God knew Dr. Mikaelson wasn't down here to ensure everything was taken care of for his son.

Wasn't this what friends were for? Taking care of you when you couldn't take care of yourself?

Once he'd finished scrubbing his hands, Damon repeated the same actions Elena had before raising his own hands up. His icy blue eyes locked with hers and the confidence in his eyes spoke volumes. "If it's possible to save his life, I'll do it, Elena." He said quietly, surprising Elena with the assurance in his tone. There was a kindness in his expression that she never expected to see. Like he genuinely wanted to comfort her.

But just as quickly as that look came, it vanished behind a mask of determination and confidence. Giving her a nod, Damon walked over to the double doors that led into the OR. From inside the room, one of the nurses pulled the door open for him and began helping Damon prepare for the surgery.

Elena stood there for a moment, feeling an odd fluttering in her heart that had nothing to do with her nerves. It was the first time she had seen such a genuine, kind emotion from Damon since she'd met him. And while it was good to know that he had a human side of him…there was more to it than that.

Wait. No. Stop.

Elena shook her head at herself. She was just getting emotional because of Klaus's surgery. That's all. Nothing more.

Nodding to herself, Elena took another deep breath before she headed into the OR behind Damon. Entering the room, her senses filled with the familiar sterile smells, the frosty feel to the air, and the sharp beeping of the heart monitor that sat next to the surgical table. On top of that table was Klaus, who was currently starting to feel the effects of the anesthesia.

Her eyes flashed over to Klaus every few moments as one of the nurses helped her into her surgical gown. Thanking the nurse, Elena grabbed a pair of gloves from the supply table and quickly got them on and in place. She could still feel her heart racing a mile a minute, but some of her nervousness had vanished at Damon's assurances.

Some.

Once she grabbed a mask, Elena walked over to Klaus's side as the anesthesiologist was finishing up and grabbed his hand, giving it a firm squeeze, "You doing okay?" she asked slowly, her voice taking on the calm and cool tone that Klaus had labeled her "Dr. Voice" long ago.

Looking up at Elena with a dazed expression, his lips turned up a little, "Peachy, love." He mumbled. Obviously about to lose consciousness, Klaus was barely able to grip Elena's back, but she could feel a little bit of pressure against her palm. And for just a moment, Klaus's stormy blue eyes were so intensely focused on hers that she wondered if there wasn't a problem with the anesthesia, "If something happens to me…take care of Caroline."

Elena's eyes widened a little at the intensity of Klaus's request, but seconds later Klaus's moment of clarity faded and his eyes slowly drooped closed. His hand fell slack in her grip and his breathing began to slow to a deep and rhythmic pattern.

Swallowing against the emotion that threatened to rise in her chest, Elena quickly placed Klaus's hand on the table next to him, letting her hand rest against his for just a moment before she strapped her mask on.

Behind her, one of the nurses strapped the oxygen mask over Klaus's mouth and nose. She grabbed the surgical tray and rolled it closer to that side of the operating table, giving her easier access to it when the surgery began.

Turning to Damon as he strapped his own mask into place, Elena forced her mind away from her emotions. Away from the part of her that wanted to go out into the waiting room and sit with Caroline, and tell her that Klaus's only request was that Caroline be cared for. The part of her that was so terrified in this moment that she wanted to sink down to the floor and cry.

That wasn't her.

Elena had fought tooth to nail to become a doctor so she could save lives, and she didn't do that by curling up into a ball and crying. Saving lives meant having a backbone.

"Are we ready to begin, Dr. Salvatore?" Elena asked calmly, her expression smooth and unwrinkled. It was time to think objectively. Critically. This surgery had to happen now, and Klaus's best chance of survival was standing next to her. They had the best technology in the state, and they had a well-practiced team. The odds were in Klaus's favor as much as they possibly could be.

"Yes." Damon said just as calmly, giving Elena a brief nod before he moved to his position at the back of the operating table behind Klaus's head. The only part of Damon's face that was visible were his eyes, and as Elena looked over at Damon, she realized they were locked on her again. She met his gaze for several long moments, and a silent communication passed between them. An understanding that ran much deeper than two doctors working together towards a common goal. Silently, Damon nodded at her, his eyes burning for just a moment before he looked around at the nurses, "Is everyone ready to begin? If this is something you're unsure of, or think you might not be able to go through with, the door is over there." Damon said simply, nodding his head towards the double doors.

In the silence, the other three nurses solemnly shook their heads. The three of them had assisted in more surgeries than anyone could count, and Elena knew they were the best team to assist with the surgery.

Seeming satisfied, Damon nodded and held his hand out for the scalpel.

Elena took a deep breath as she moved into position. This was it. Life or death.

Somewhere in the next few hours, Klaus Mikaelson would either have a miracle recovery…or an expected death.

* * *

"Klaus?"

What?

"Klaus?"

Was the surgery over?

"Klaus…?"

Where was that voice coming from?

Slowly, Klaus managed to pry his eyes open, expecting to see the familiar sight of the ceiling of his hospital room, or the dark ceiling of the OR.

But what he saw was nothing of the sort.

His eyes first caught sight of a deep blue colored ceiling with several little dots across it that looked like small lights. He'd never seen anything like it. Slowly, he looked away from the ceiling, down the light blue walls adorned with paintings he distinctly recognized as his. There was one of a landscape he'd done in southern Germany, another of the Italian Riviera, and one of Caroline's profile.

Below the paintings was a collection of bedroom furniture that appeared to be of the Victorian era, all painted an antique white. The floors below the furniture were a polished hardwood, covered in places by soft white rugs.

Where the hell was he?

He himself was lying on a four poster bed, hung with soft white gossamer curtains. The bedspread and sheets around him were softer than silk, and Klaus recognized the feel of them as a rare Egyptian cotton.

Well, at least he'd woken up in a place fit paradise.

The bedroom door opening pulled Klaus from his thoughts. His eyes darted towards the door as a figure pulled the door open and stepped inside. What the…?

"Hey Sleepy."

Caroline.

Teasingly grinning at him, Caroline padded across the room, her long navy and light blue patterned maxi dress swishing around her. Klaus couldn't take his eyes from her as she tucked a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear and sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. But it wasn't simply the sight of Caroline which kept Klaus's eyes glued to her.

It was the unmistakable baby bump hidden under her dress.

"Oh don't look at me like that," Caroline chided with an eye roll, giving Klaus a dry look, "Bed rest doesn't mean that I never leave the confines of this room. Besides, you and I both know that lunch would be Public Enemy Number One for Poison Control if I left the reins in your hands." She joked.

What in God's name was she talking about? He didn't even know where he was! Much less why Caroline was pregnant and joking about bad food and bed rest.

Slowly, Klaus pulled himself up into a sitting position, bracing his back against the headboard as he tried to figure out what was going on.

The last thing he remembered, he was in the OR about to operated on. He'd asked Elena to care for Caroline if he didn't make it. And then…nothing. And now here he was, in some strange bedroom with a pregnant Caroline, acting as if this was just another day.

Was he dead? Was this some sort of version of heaven?

That didn't seem likely…honestly, if he was dead, heaven probably wouldn't have been his destination.

Obviously concerned about his lack of response, a wrinkle formed in between Caroline's eyebrows. "Klaus, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

A ghost? No. A major mind fuck? Yes.

Deciding to play along with whatever this whole thing was, Klaus shook his head, offering Caroline a small smile, though his eyes kept drifting back to her stomach every few seconds, "I'm fine, just…tired." Klaus lied, internally cringing at his inability to think on his feet. Really? Tired? What was he, twelve?

"Well get un-tired, Damon and Elena will be here in like fifteen minutes." Caroline informed him, patting his leg before she slid off the bed and started towards the bedroom door again.

What the hell?

Elena and Damon?

Why would they be coming here?

What in God's name was this?

"Why is Elena with Damon?" Klaus blurted out, a sharpness in his tone that he hadn't intended. Caroline didn't directly say that the two of them were a couple, but it wasn't hard to figure out. Why the hell would Elena be with him? The guy was a first rate jackass. Surely Elena could find better than the likes of a man she found in supply closet?

Stopping in her tracks, Caroline turned back to Klaus with a confused expression, "Because they're coming for lunch. Remember?" she questioned. When Klaus didn't show any signs of recognition Caroline sighed and shook her head, "We're celebrating their engagement, Klaus! Are you sure you're okay?"

No.

No he wasn't.

Caroline was pregnant.

Elena and Damon were engaged.

And…glancing down, Klaus realized there was another shock to be had.

There was a bright golden wedding band on his third finger on his left hand.

"I'm fine…" Klaus repeated in an almost awed tone, his eyes still locked on his hand. What was this? This whole world? It wasn't real! Was this a dream? Or was he really dead?

Caroline didn't look convinced in the slightest, but she finally turned and headed out the door again, her hand laid gently on her stomach, "Your daddy might just be losing it, peanut." She said amusedly.

Daddy….

* * *

The sounds of some classic rock song Damon couldn't identify filled Damon's ears as his hands moved with deft precision. Ever since he'd performed his first surgery, he'd preferred to have some sort of music playing in the background. It was easier to work with than the sharp beeping of the heart monitor and the sounds of the patient's measured breaths.

His eyes narrowed in concentration, this by far the most difficult surgery he'd ever performed. Of course, difficulty was the reason he chose neurology in the first place.

Growing up, Damon was the disappointment of the Salvatore household. He wasn't polite and obedient like his younger brother, Stefan, was. And he was nowhere near capable of smiling and pretending as though growing up with his tyrant father was a joy.

After years' worth of being told that he was never going to make anything of himself, Damon was determined to prove his father wrong in every way possible. Whereas Giuseppe Salvatore was divorced and alone, Damon was almost never without company. Whereas Giuseppe's so called important work of running an accounting firm could be done by a group of computers, Damon's work was complex and required skill and brilliance on a regular basis. Whereas Giuseppe's education didn't extend past a BA, Damon was a doctor.

Damon had wanted to show his father that not only would he become something great, but he would better than his father by a landslide. Selfish though his intentions were, at least he was saving lives instead of cheating people out of their money.

Okay, so he didn't go into medicine because he was one of those people who wanted to spread peace and love. Or because he couldn't save some beloved relative, so he decided to be a doctor to save everyone else. No, his motives weren't the purest, but did it really matter in the grand scheme of things?

In Damon's mind, it didn't.

Because his motives didn't really matter when he was standing over a patient with their head cut open. All that mattered was that he had the skill set to save them. Most of the time anyway. He hoped that was the case with Klaus.

The tumor pressing against Klaus's brain had grown to a dangerous size, and removing it was no small feat. While the preliminary scans had shown how difficult the surgery would be, it didn't even begin to describe the detrimental nature of the procedure itself.

"We've got a bleeder." Damon said calmly, not moving his eyes even an inch from his work as Elena moved to assist him. He had to admit, she was doing a lot better than he thought she would. She had a strong emotional tie to the patient, and that often prevented doctors from being able to stay calm and objective. But thus far, Elena had managed to remain as in control as he did.

It almost pained him to admit it, but maybe Dr. Gilbert wasn't as bad as he thought she was. Yeah, she took herself way too seriously, and he doubted she'd had some real fun in years, but he had the distinct feeling that she was a good person. There was a kindness in her eyes that Damon rarely saw…and after his earlier encounter with her, he had found himself wanting to reassure her about the surgery, instead of giving her the list of odds as he normally did.

Not that he would freely admit that to anyone, but it was still true.

It had been so long since Damon had encountered someone like Elena…it had him feeling a little more…human, he supposed.

Damon's social world was filled with doctors almost as arrogant as he was, and girls that were shallow and self-seeking. And while none of that bothered him (it was all short term), it gave a sharp and unpleasant contrast when he came across someone more genuine.

And admittedly…Damon had spent enough time in the past with a more unsightly crowd to know that he valued meeting kinder souls.

Despite having a stellar reputation in the OR, Damon had been involved with some shady dealings not long ago at all. It had been a mistake, and once Damon had gotten past the personal gains of the situation, he stopped. But after having dealt with the people associated with that mistake, he had realized that he should be grateful for Elena's arrival in San Diego.

A few thousand miles of distance couldn't do any harm.

It was those thoughts which kept Damon company as he continued the procedure.

Though the surgery was difficult and timely, so far it was going well. No serious problems, no unforeseen obstacles. Compared to what it could have been, Damon kind of felt like he was getting off easy. Even the assisting nurses seemed surprised at how smoothly things were going. Even though all three of them had agreed to do the surgery and said they had no doubts, he'd seen the tension in their shoulders, the glances they exchanged.

It almost seemed too good to be true.

That thought proved to be true as an alarm started beeping beside them, indicating a sudden drop in Klaus's blood pressure…and Damon's eyes widened slightly as he began to observe the signs of a brain herniation.

Too good to be true indeed.

The heart monitor began beeping wildly as Damon's hands covered with Klaus's blood.

Shit.

Time to prove he could pull off a miracle…and fast.

* * *

_**Hello Lovelies :D**_

_**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know it was a little scattered, but think of this as a chapter of previews. Nothing I put in this chapter was a place filler or anything. It has purpose. And just so that no one is confused, Klaus is dreaming, but it's a dream with purpose ;)**_

_**Thank you guys so so much for all your support! I am so insanely thrilled that you guys like my story! Thank you for reading, reviewing, alerting, and following! :) I'd love to hear from you guys in the reviews about what you thought of this chapter! :D**_

_**I hope everyone is doing well! (:**_

_**Until next time!**_

_**Love Always, Cilla :D**_


	5. Update!

Hi guys,

First off, I just want to say that I am so sorry it's been so long since I have updated! I know it's been far too long! I hope you guys still want to see more of Guns N' Roses!

My life has gotten so crazy recently, and I just haven't had any time to write. My grandfather's health has taken such a turn for the worse, and I have hardly had the time to get through the day. School has been insane, too. It's just been a really hectic time.

But I promise, I haven't given up! I'm trying to get the next chapter finished and I hope to have it done and posted by the end of the week! I can't make any promises, but that is my goal! (:

Again, I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I hope guys haven't given up on me! (; The next chapter will be out soon!

As always, thank you guys so much for all your kind support! I love you guys, and I so appreciate all your attention and praise of this story!

And I wanted to say a very special thank you to my friends Serena, Jake, Chloe, Candace, Lizzie, and Brandi. You guys have been so kind, so supportive, and so completely amazing through this hard time! You are truly the best friends a girl could ask for! Thank you for all you do! (:

That's all for now, loves! You should be hearing from me again soon! :)

Love Always, Cilla :D


	6. Chapter Five

_**Guns N' Roses**_

_**Chapter Five: Maybe Death Hurts Less Than Life**_

* * *

"Why is it taking so long?" Rebekah asked Caroline nervously as she paced the small space of the observation room, her eyes darting anywhere but the window that gave them a prime view of Klaus's surgery. While Rebekah had been the only Mikaelson sibling to show up, it seemed some of her resolve was beginning to crumble.

Caroline had known Rebekah for a little over three years now, and in that time Caroline had observed that nothing scared Bekah more than hospitals and the reality of mortality. According to Rebekah, she had been in and out of hospitals until her teenage years, always ill with one thing to the next, all stemming from her premature birth that left her with a compromised immune system. And just about the time Rebekah's health stabilized, the accident that claimed the life of her baby brother brought her straight back to the sterile halls.

Caroline hadn't been there when Henrik died. In fact, she had been in nursing school back then. But from what she understood, it was a pretty horrific accident. Klaus, Kol, and Henrik had been coming home from a baseball game and some party they found along the way. According to Rebekah, Klaus and Kol had been dead tired, but they had been trying to make it home so that their parents wouldn't know what they'd been doing. Klaus had been the one behind the wheel. Klaus had swerved into the other lane, and he overcorrected when another car came along, and wound up crashing the car into a tree. At the angle the car hit, Henrik, sitting in the backseat, had been in exactly the wrong place.

Klaus and Kol had sustained semi-serious injuries, but Henrik hadn't even survived the night. That night had changed everything for the Mikaelson family, and it was the reason that the only company Caroline kept in the observation room was Klaus's sister, despite the fact that he had two parents, and two other brothers.

It seemed ridiculous to Caroline for Klaus's family to hold a grudge against him for so long. All three of the brothers had shown bad judgment that night. They made stupid mistakes, and it came with a horrible price. But overall, it had been an accident. A horrible, unthinkable accident, but still an accident nonetheless. It didn't justify the fact that Klaus was in the OR fighting for his life and only one member of his family had shown up.

But, she supposed that probably didn't matter at this point.

With a reassuring look, Caroline said levelly, "It's brain surgery, Bex. It usually takes a few hours. Just try and relax, okay?" Well, that was helpful advice, Caroline thought dryly. God, she couldn't even take that advice herself. Her shoulders and back were so tense that a dull ache was already spreading through her muscles.

But Caroline figured it was better to tell Rebekah to calm down instead of telling her to freak out because her brother was having life threatening surgery.

Rounding on Caroline, Rebekah threw her hands up in the air, "You look as worried as I feel, so don't you dare tell me to relax." She snapped, quickly returning to pacing with her cheeks blazing and her long blonde hair whipping around behind her.

She kind of had a point.

Deciding to leave Rebekah alone for a bit, Caroline turned her hazel eyes back to the viewing window. To her more trained eyes, everything appeared to be going well. Klaus was relatively stable, his heart rate going strong. Both Elena and Dr. Salvatore looked completely calm. It seemed as though things were going a lot better than anyone had expected.

It made Caroline wonder if it was too soon to hope that everything would work out the way she wanted.

But…what did she want? Truly?

Yes, she wanted Klaus to survive. And of course she wanted him to come out of this unaffected by some kind of brain damage. But what about everything else? Before Klaus had gone into surgery, she had laid in his arms and sobbed, so consumed with her passionate desire for him to live, and her terror that he wouldn't. But where did that leave them now?

Caroline still hadn't told Klaus about her pregnancy. No, she wasn't sure that Klaus was the father, but there was a chance. And he deserved to know that…but…Caroline sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Suddenly, images of the angry Russian man from earlier came to mind. Klaus's world wasn't cut out for children…would he even want the baby if it was his? More importantly…would her child be safe if Klaus was the father?

Then there was the flipside. What if her child was Tyler's baby? Aside from the horrible truth that her baby would grow up without a father…where did she even stand with Klaus if that were the case? Obviously her first priority was her baby, Klaus or not…but she knew that eventually she would have to come up with an answer to that question.

Could she run and hide under her sheets for the next few years now?

"What's that sound?"

Rebekah's sharp tone pulled Caroline from her thoughts as Rebekah came to join her in front of the viewing window. Caroline had been so lost in thought she hadn't even heard the change in the muted beeping of the heart monitor.

Looking intently through the viewing window, Caroline could see the changes now. The heart monitor beside the operating table was beeping madly, and when Damon moved one of his hands, Caroline could see they were coated in blood. That wasn't normal. Not to that extent.

Damon's gaze was narrowed and focused and he began working quicker than ever before, snapping quick orders to the assisting nurses who suddenly looked terrified. Seconds later, Caroline's eyes flashed to Elena, praying she would see the bright light of hope that so often colored her friend's face…but Elena's chocolate eyes were wide and shocked as she did everything she could to help Damon.

A cold sweat began to form on Caroline's forehead. Everything inside her screamed that this couldn't be happening. That she couldn't be witnessing the end of Klaus's life. It just wasn't possible. Surely she couldn't be expected to stand behind a glass wall and watch as Klaus's life slipped away like some kind of slow motion horror movie.

Rebekah's rapid breath was almost as audible to Caroline as her own heartbeat. Klaus's sister pressed her hands flat against the glass, her eyes wide and tear filled. "What's happening, Caroline?!" Rebekah demanded in a sharp tone, her blue eyes passing rapidly between Klaus's motionless form and Caroline.

Caroline was no expert on brain surgery. She was a nurse, she knew what she needed to know to accomplish the tasks of her job. And sure, she picked up quite a bit with assisting with surgeries and being friends with Elena, but she only knew so much.

So, she didn't have the specifics by simply observing the surgery, but she knew enough. She knew the one detail that truly mattered.

With tears forming in her own eyes as she watched Damon try to take the power of God into his hands, Caroline whispered, "He's dying."

* * *

"_I'm not the kind of man you want to be friends with, Elena."_

"_That's a matter of opinion, friend."_

Elena couldn't help but remember that conversation. It had been a few months after he took a job working with an 'alleged' arms dealer, and Klaus had slowly but surely began to try and push everyone left in his life out.

It had worked pretty damn well with his parents. Mikael and Esther were all too willing to let their son go. Elijah had been disappointed in Klaus, and that had no doubt caused some distance between the two of them, but Elijah held his beliefs of family and blood too tightly to write any of his siblings off. Kol and Rebekah didn't seem to care much, and Henrik never knew that Klaus had gotten involved with the…shadier business world.

And then there was Elena.

She had been friends with Klaus before he began working for Ricardo Alcazar, and she hadn't been about to disown him because of a life style choice. No, she'd never been fond of his decision to dabble with something so potentially dangerous, but what kind of friend would she be if she turned her back on Klaus simply because he did something that she didn't like?

That's not to say that Elena hadn't tried to convince Klaus to do something else. Especially when rumors began to circulate that Klaus was doing more than just arms dealing. Good Lord, people five miles away probably overheard the storms she called up trying to talk Klaus out of his career path.

But eventually, Elena had realized that Klaus wasn't going to leave the business. Klaus was in too deep, and he had once explained to Elena that it would be more dangerous to get out than it was to stay in. So, from then on, Elena held her tongue.

Most of the time.

Now as she stood over Klaus's still body, listening to the sounds of his heart through the monitor, she couldn't help but think of all those times Klaus tried to chase her away. It almost brought a smile to her face as she remembered the day Klaus finally consented to accepting their friendship.

He'd pouted for three days.

Though almost no one at the hospital knew it –because Klaus had been in a state of melancholy since his diagnosis- Klaus had quite the temper. Though he'd never admit it, he inherited it from his father. He liked to be in control, and he was hardly the kind of man to mess with. So when he lost the battle of wills to a soft spoken woman, needless to say he took a hit to the pride.

Elena shook her head slightly, forcing herself not to get lost on memory road. Not now, anyway. Right now, she needed all her focus for this surgery.

Damon continued to work with silent precision, only breaking that silence when he softly asked one of the nurses to hand him something or perform a task he was unable to with his hands occupied.

As much of an ass as Damon could be, even Elena had to admit that seeing Dr. Salvatore in his element was a thing of beauty. His eyes were like ice as he operated, cool and commanding as he fought to save Klaus's life. There was so much sureness in his hands as he worked, Damon made it seem as though he were doing something as simple as making a sandwich when he was actually doing what only a handful of people in the world could.

It was a shame the guy had such a big ego, otherwise she would tell him that when this was all over.

"Something amusing you, Dr. Gilbert?" Damon suddenly asked, his eyes never moving from his work. But judging from the lift in his cheeks, Elena could tell he was smirking behind his surgical mask.

Geez, even her thoughts weren't safe? Well, she was pretty much doomed then. Her 'soft spoken' reputation was only upheld because her thoughts were free.

"Not at all, Dr. Salvatore." Elena said levelly, keeping her eyes downcast and focused on the task at hand. Though there was little she could do to hide the blood rushing to her face. God! Was she seriously blushing like some giggly thirteen year old while she was standing over Klaus's body, waiting to see if he'd live to see tomorrow?

If Klaus were awake right now, he'd probably tell her to get the hell out before she put him in an early grave. It truly amazed her that she was able to have such whimsical thoughts while Klaus was fighting for survival.

Was that a sign of carelessness? Or insanity?

Shaking those thoughts away as well, Elena re-focused her attention on the surgery. She moved a step to the right, taking a closer look at the work Damon was doing. It made her glad she was able to be here. Somehow, being able to stand inches from the problem made her feel more useful than standing on the other side of a glass window.

By this point in her career, Elena had assisted in enough brain surgeries that she knew from a glance this was no normal case. Removing the mass of the tumor was difficult enough, but because of its placement the smallest little mistake could cause permanent brain damage…or a hemorrhage.

"Is there a history of tumors in his family?" Damon asked her as she watched.

Without pause, Elena shook her head, "None."

As soon as Klaus had been diagnosed, Elena had spent hours researching Klaus's family's medical history, and there wasn't even so much as a breath of tumors, or cancerous cells. The Mikaelson's seemed to be an impeccably healthy stock. Klaus, she supposed, was just unfortunate to have wound up with a mutated cell.

"With any luck," Damon said in response, his tone unchanging from its almost detached feel, "the poor bastard was adopted. His dad is a real dick."

Shocked, Elena looked up at Damon's face. The nurses on the other side of the table did the same thing, though they were clearly trying not to laugh. Even Elena was fighting a smile behind her surgical mask.

"That doesn't leave this room." Damon stipulated a moment later, a trace of humor in his eyes as he worked.

Well, good to know she wasn't the only one with an inappropriate sense of humor during surgery. Honestly, Elena couldn't blame Damon for not taking to Mikael. The guy was…well, exactly what Damon said. He was rude and arrogant, and if he had his way, every woman in that hospital would be barefooted and pregnant in some man's home.

Thinking about Klaus's father brought back a now familiar feeling of anger. She'd taken a few glances towards the observation window, and low behold, Mikael was nowhere to be found despite the fact that he worked in the damn building!

At least Kol and Elijah had the excuse of school and international travel for their absence. Though she was pleasantly surprised to see her roommate, Rebekah, waiting there with Caroline. It gave her some hope for Klaus's relationship with her when this was all over.

But as far as Elena was concerned, Damon could curse Mikael's name to kingdom come if he wanted.

However, before Elena could open her mouth to voice that thought, a shrill beep sounded from the heart monitor.

In the next three seconds, everything changed.

The calm atmosphere in the room evaporated like a raindrop in the desert. The heart monitor began beeping wildly, signaling that there was a massive change in Klaus's blood pressure. In an instant, Damon's white surgical gloves were covered more than ever before in blood.

In three seconds, the stage was set for Klaus Mikaelson to die.

Elena's heart to ice as she operated on auto pilot. She moved quickly to provide suction so that Damon could see what he was doing. In hopes that he could stop the bleeding before Klaus bled to death before her eyes.

Damon worked with practiced skill, but Elena could see the stress in his eyes, the change in his confidence. They only had a matter of seconds before that wild beeping would turn to a flat line. Were those seconds anywhere near enough? The bleeding was quickly becoming out of control, and the sure signs of a brain herniation made themselves known.

Looking down at her best friend, lying there, unaware that his life was slipping away by the second, Elena felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. So much stronger than desperation….so much brighter than despair.

It made no sense to her where this spring of hope was coming from, because there was nothing she could do to save Klaus. His only chance was Damon.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Elena's eyes flashed back to Damon. And for just a split second, his eyes rose from Klaus's skull to meet hers. In that second, Elena prayed that her silent hope, her burning need for a miracle would somehow get Damon through this.

That somehow, having hope could save a life.

* * *

Klaus stood before the full length mirror in the bathroom that adjoined the bedroom he'd woken up in, still trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

His running theory was that he was dead, and this was some kind of in between world. Or something of that sort. Klaus wasn't a religious man, he hardly felt qualified to label this place with term of the afterlife. And while he didn't believe that he had ever managed to earn a place in some sort of paradise, he supposed he was in no position to argue.

Not when he was married to Caroline…and about to become a father.

Caroline's words still ran through his mind like a speeding train as he smoothed the lines of the light blue cotton tee shirt he'd thrown on. 'Daddy'. Him. A father. A husband. Two things he never thought he would be.

Well, at one point in his life, maybe he could have thought such a thing was possible. Long ago, before his life became so complicated, the possibility of the happy life complete with a white picket fence wasn't so farfetched. But now days…how could he dream of that life? His world was dangerous and complicated, and he had no right to subject anyone to that.

But…wasn't this different?

He was dead, right? Which meant the dangers of his world had vanished with his final breath. So what did he have to worry now? Caroline…and his child, he could have a life with them here…wherever here was.

Crazy as it sounded, Klaus could be happy here.

Shaking his head at the impossibility of such a thought, he finally left the bathroom, eager to see what else this dream life had to offer. Klaus quickly made his way through the bedroom and out the doorway Caroline had disappeared through a few minutes before. As he walked down the spacious hallway, he noted that the rest of the house seemed to be decorated the same way the bedroom was. Soft colors, Victorian furniture. It reminded him a lot of the beach house he and his family would stay in when they vacationed to the coast every summer. Those vacations were some of the only good memories he had of his family as a whole.

Once he reached the end of the hallway, Klaus found himself looking at the living room of the house. Soft white chairs and a couch adorned the room, as well as plasma screen TV housed in a white entertainment center, and a few paintings of various beach scenes decorated the walls. Off to the right he could see a glimpse of the dining room through the double doors that separated the room from the living room.

And judging by the sound of what sounded like a pot hitting the floor, Klaus assumed the kitchen was just beyond the dining room.

"Klaus! Come in here!"

At the sound of Caroline's high pitched call, Klaus snapped out of his distraction with the décor and raced through the living room, hoping he was right about the location of the kitchen.

He slid through the doors that led to the dining room at a fast jog, his eyes scanning the room for another door. Thankfully he caught sight of it on the far side of the room, and he could see linoleum tiles from the doorway. He'd heard Caroline's voice from this direction, so he assumed he would find her in there.

Seconds later Klaus burst into the kitchen, looking a bit like a disgruntled SWAT team member on his first day on the job. As he thought, Caroline was there. She stood near the stove, her eyes wide with her both her hands pressed against her stomach. The pot he'd heard hit the floor lay forgotten at her feet.

Quickly Klaus crossed the room and came to a stop right in front of her, his hands automatically reaching for her shoulders as he searched her eyes for any sign of pain or distress. "What's wrong, Caroline? Are you hurt?"

Wordlessly, Caroline shook her head quickly. In the silence, Klaus could see her eyes fill with tears and a smile began to tug at her lips. Moving one of her hands from her stomach, Caroline grabbed one of Klaus's hands from her shoulder and brought it down to her belly. Gently, she pressed his hand against the hard curve of her stomach and placed her hand over his.

Before Klaus could question her actions, he understood why she suddenly looked so happy.

He could feel the baby moving.

Their baby.

His child.

Whether he was dead or alive, it was one of the single greatest moments of his life. Moments like these…Klaus had always thought of them as nice, a happy, trivial part of someone else's world that was meaningful to them as their family grew. But experiencing it…it was incredible. That small little movement…the life inside Caroline…the life he and Caroline created together.

He looked at Caroline with an awed expression, noticing that she had been watching him the whole time. Her lips turned up a little more, clearly pleased with what she saw. "That's our kid in there." Caroline said with a grin, seeming almost surprised by her own words.

Our kid.

Klaus never expected to hear those words…and he never expected to be so happy to hear them.

Klaus quickly found himself returning Caroline's smile as he pressed his palm flat against her belly, eager to feel the little life inside her move again. As he did, another surprisingly strong kick tapped against Klaus's hand. Caroline gasped a little at the feeling, but the smile stayed on her lips.

"I think our boy's in there." Klaus said softly.

He wasn't sure where that had come from. How he knew. But all the sudden…he just did. It hit him like a ton of bricks. It was like the revelation he never expected.

Slowly, he drug his eyes from their hands to Caroline's eyes, wondering what she would think of his prediction.

A small laugh escaped Caroline's lips and she moved forward, allowing both of their hands to drop from her stomach as she wrapped her arms around Klaus's torso. "I think you're right." She confessed happily as she nuzzled into Klaus's shoulder.

Contentedly, Klaus wrapped his arms around Caroline, pulling her even closer into his embrace. He inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, letting his senses fill with the aroma of her vanilla shampoo. He'd always loved that stuff. It suited Caroline so perfectly it was almost as if it were made for her.

And standing here now, basking in the joys of his new family, of being so happy it seemed unreal…this life seemed made for him. It was so complete. It was full of the things he never thought he would be able to have. Really, they were things he wasn't even sure he knew he wanted, until now.

Looking out the window of the kitchen over Caroline's shoulder, Klaus smiled as he saw the sights of the Hamptons unfolding before him. He would know those shores anywhere; he'd painted them as a child more times than anyone could count on those family vacations.

This place seemed too good to be true…but Klaus supposed if he was already dead, there was no reason not to enjoy it.

* * *

Fear was not an emotion Damon was familiar with.

Well, not anymore anyway.

When he was younger, fear was like his best friend. Fear that he wasn't good enough. Fear that his father would look at him with disdain forever. Fear that he would never be as good as Stefan. Fear that his mother would die. Fear that he couldn't live without her after she passed.

Once upon a time, fear was like his shadow self. Always there, always whispering in his ear.

But he'd left that fear behind when he decided he was done being trampled on. When he decided to prove to his father that he was better, that fear couldn't be his friend anymore. He left it behind like the disease it was and swore to leave it there. Even when he was standing over someone's body with their life resting in his fingers, he refused to feel fear.

Confidence became his new friend. His new shadow self. That confidence helped him do everything his father never thought he could. It allowed him to do everything he was afraid he would never do when he was younger. Yeah, it made him an asshole, but in Damon's mind, it was a pretty fair trade.

In his mind, assholes go through life a hell of a lot easier than cowards.

It made for a more enjoyable life. Rarely was he without the company of a woman on his nights off. He was swimming in cash thanks to his surgical risks. He drove the kind of cars that most men would sell their wives for. He was respected. And most of all, he was better than his goddamn father.

Thanks to refusing to cave in to fear, he had everything.

And the best part was that it was easy. Natural. Damon wasn't exactly the most compassionate man in the world, and because of that he didn't fear making mistakes. He didn't fear burning bridges. He didn't fear the things that held most other people back. And because he didn't let fear rule his life, he rarely mistakes. Well…in his career anyway.

He had a bucket full of shitty dates that he would gladly call mistakes.

But a few bad dates couldn't change the fact that confidence came easy to him. It couldn't change that ignoring fear and never giving in to it were two of the easiest things he'd ever done.

Until right now.

Now, he couldn't just ignore his fear. Now, he couldn't just keep his cool confidence without breaking a sweat.

Why?

He had no effing idea.

Like he'd experienced so many times, the heart monitor behind him was blaring with the drop in the patient's blood pressure. He could hardly see what he was doing because of the sudden bleeding in the patient's cranium. The other doctors and nurses around him looked worried and ready for the worst.

This scene was nothing new to him. Not even close. He was a goddamn brain surgeon! This was practically part of the job description. Brain surgery was dangerous, complicated, and incredibly risky. It was about as invasive as it comes. These kind of things weren't uncommon in the slightest. And they never bothered Damon. Yeah, they made him speed up a little. It kept him on his toes a little better when he heard the shrill blare of the monitor. It made him grip a scalpel a little tighter when he discovered a bleeder. But they never scared him.

Until now.

Standing over Klaus Mikaelson's dying body, Damon couldn't deny for even a second that he was scared. He was scared that he wasn't good enough to do this, and within a matter of seconds, this man would be dead and gone.

It shouldn't be hitting him like this, not by a long shot. He should be prepared for this. Damon knew this surgery had a high risk factor. He knew it was a very real possibility that the patient wouldn't make it out alive. He should be calm, cool, and ready to deliver the news to Dr. Mikaelson that his son was dead.

But he wasn't.

His blood felt like it had turned to ice in his veins. His heart was pounding so hard that he could hear it in his ears. His throat felt tight, almost like he couldn't breathe. It was a feeling so unfamiliar to him that he had to wonder if he wasn't having a heart attack or something. God, wouldn't that just be great! The damn surgeon drops dead right before the patient bleeds to death.

Why did he care? Why did this bother him all the sudden? It didn't make an ounce of sense.

Fear, bright and renewed like never before poured through his body. Every last bit of confidence he'd built up before the surgery was gone.

Continuing to work, that sense of hopelessness only grew. He couldn't find the source of the bleeding. And stopping a brain herniation was a real bitch.

Not that a herniation would matter in about forty five seconds.

So caught in that moment of weakness, Damon raised his eyes from the disaster for just a moment. He prayed that a second of staring at something else would knock this irrational fear out of him.

But when he looked up, his eyes didn't shoot to the door on the other side of the room. Nor to the counter filled with unused medical supplies. Or to the silently ticking clock on the wall, or the observation room where Klaus's loved ones sat in wait.

Surprisingly, they went straight to Elena Gilbert.

In the split second that he tore his eyes from the patient, Elena was looking straight at him. Despite the fact that was doing her job as efficiently as possible, he could see she was terrified for her friend.

But it wasn't the terror that held him in her chocolate doe eyes.

It was the hope. The pleading. The complete faith in her eyes that she believed he could save Klaus's life. It flowed through her as clearly as if she'd spoken the words. And though he never would've expected it….it helped.

A lot.

Seeing that she believed he could do this, seeing her love for her friend, and her hope that he would survive because of Damon's skill…it did what he couldn't do.

It chased the fear out of his mind in an instant.

Fast as lightning, Damon returned his eyes to Klaus's skull, his fingers tingling as he got to work. He only seconds, but it was enough. He was sure of that now. Moving his hands slightly, he moved at a different angle, able to see his position better now.

Seconds passed, and slowly, the bleeding began to slow as Damon repaired the damage. The monitor slowed down little by little as Damon worked. Thanks to some good timing, he was able to stop the herniation along with the bleeding.

It felt like hours had passed in the seven and half minutes it took him to get the procedure back under control. Sweat beaded on his head, and the nurses to his right were looking at him as though he were God himself.

But Damon paid them no mind. He couldn't. His thoughts were too tangled with two other things.

The first was to get through this surgery and save the patient's life.

The second….the second thing was that he realized why he'd been so fearful. He knew now why this time was so much different from the others.

With his mind half focused on those deep doe eyes, Damon had to admit that this time was different because he wasn't detached. He wasn't impartial. This wasn't another notch on the surgical belt.

This time was different because he cared.

* * *

_**Hello Lovelies! (:**_

_**I know, I know, I didn't get the chapter up when I wanted to! I'm sorry…life once again took a turn that I couldn't control. **_

_**So, I hope you liked this chapter! (: I hope it didn't feel scattered or random. I know there was a lot going on here. But hopefully you guys got through it without falling asleep or wanting to kill me! ;) In case it needs any further clarification, Klaus is still 'dreaming'. The world he's in isn't real, but it is VERY significant nonetheless. In the next chapter you'll see why! And hopefully you'll also be seeing a more intimate Delena scene ;)**_

_**Thank you guys so, so much for all your support and kindness and understanding! Thank you for every single view, favorite, alert, and review! (: Seriously, you guys are awesome, and I really appreciate all your support! I really hope to hear from you guys about this chapter too! (: **_

_**I want to say another very big thank you to my friends Candace, Shelby, Lizzie, and Brandi. I would not have made it through these last few weeks without you guys! You truly are like my sisters! Also, another very big thank you to my friends Chloe, Jake, and Serena for your unending support and love. You guys have been there for me every step of the way to remind me that internet friends are no less friends than anyone else! Thank all of you guys for all you do!**_

_**This chapter is dedicated to my amazing, selfless, and loving grandfather who went home to be with the Lord last Thursday morning. May you feel the peace of heaven's glory, and the perfect love of our Savior as you begin your eternity in everlasting life! I love you, Pop, there will never be another man quite like you.**_

_**Love Always, Cilla**_


	7. Chapter Six

_**Guns N' Roses**_

_**Chapter Six: The Choice**_

* * *

Okay, Klaus thought sullenly, the living in a beach house on the shores of the Hamptons with Caroline and their baby, that was paradise. He would sign up for that any day. It was the kind of world he'd dreamed of, but knew he could never have when he was alive. But now that he was gone, this sparkling world, he guessed, was his resting place.

He could deal with all that. He wanted this life with Caroline so badly that he hardly ever thought of the prospect that he was dead. Or, at least, he was pretty sure he was.

But there was one little detail that he couldn't swallow about this new world.

Elena Gilbert, sweet, amazing, giving, without so much as a parking ticket, his best friend Elena Gilbert was engaged to that arrogant asshole, Dr. Damon Salvatore.

In what world did that shit make sense?

Elena didn't do jerks. Not by Damon's standards, anyway. His best friend hardly dated at all, but when she did, she did a hell of a lot better than some womanizing piece of dog-

"Would you stop looking at them like that?" Caroline hissed, breaking him out of his negative thoughts.

Klaus and Caroline were standing in the doorway of the dining room, watching as Damon and Elena flipped through Klaus and Caroline's wedding album. There they were, out on the couch all snuggled together, teasing and laughing and smiling.

It made Klaus nauseous.

Turning his head slightly, still keeping an eye on Damon in case he tried anything, Klaus said quietly to Caroline, "Is that Matt Donovan still single? They'd make a nice couple." Klaus said reasonably, thinking he would rather see Elena with the dull as dishwater bar tender from Bobby's than this guy.

And the worst part was that Caroline was insistent that it had been _Klaus _who pushed Elena to give Damon a chance. Him! It had to be some kind of cruel joke she came up with. There was no way on God's green earth he encouraged this!

Glaring, Caroline reached up and slapped his shoulder sharply, "Hush!" she snapped. At the sound of their voices, Damon and Elena looked up from the album towards the dining room. In an instant, Caroline's face melted into a smile, so quickly Klaus began to wonder if he imagined her scowling. "Lunch will be ready in just a minute." She said brightly, waving the couple back to what they were doing.

Good God, Caroline truly had a gift.

With one last warning look, Caroline strode off to the kitchen, clearly not done reprimanding Klaus. He could hear her sandals smacking angrily against the linoleum. Yep. He would definitely be hearing more about this.

Shaking his head, Klaus returned his eyes to Elena and Damon, ready to intervene if the jackass doctor did anything.

But the sight he caught hold of was much different from anything unpleasant. The two of them had moved closer together. Damon's arm was wrapped around Elena's shoulders, her head leaning on his shoulder as they continued to look through the album. Elena smiled and pointed at something in one of the pictures, saying a quiet word to Damon. He chuckled and leaned down to plant a tender kiss on the top of her head.

It was one of those moments that reminded Klaus of a Hallmark card.

He felt more nauseous than ever.

Turning on his heel, Klaus headed into the kitchen, figuring it was better to take his chances with his angry wife (God, he would never get used to how good that felt) than the happy couple on his couch. In the kitchen, Caroline was pulling her homemade chicken salad from the fridge. She placed it on the counter next to a platter of sliced roast beef and cheeses. A platter of rolls and croissants sat next to those, along with a bowl of fruit salad and a bowl of homemade potato chips.

"Please don't try and stab our lunch guest with a butter knife." Caroline advised suddenly, looking up from her work to shoot Klaus a dry look. Without waiting for Klaus to respond, she grabbed two of the platters and headed into the dining room. He could hear her call for Damon and Elena from where he stood.

He wasn't making any promises about the knife thing.

Deciding to let by gones be by gones for the moment, Klaus grabbed two more of the platters and followed Caroline into the next room.

"Caroline, I wish you'd let us help, you should be sitting down." Elena was saying as he walked in. Her eyes were glued to Caroline, as if she was worried Caroline might just drop dead right there. Ah, there was the Elena he knew. The caring one who wasn't attracted to assholes!

Before Caroline could speak, Damon rolled his eyes as he practically forced Elena into her chair, "You already know the answer to that one, angel." Though, despite his words, Damon wordlessly grabbed the platters Caroline had in her hands and placed them on the table. He shot her a bland smile, like he'd never done anything at all.

Caroline's smile quickly turned to a scowl, "I'm pregnant for Christ's sake, not an invalid." Caroline said through nearly gritted teeth.

Apparently, people had been tripping all over themselves to keep Caroline off her feet since discovering she was pregnant. Including himself. Klaus refused to feel guilty for it though, wasn't he excused by the whole first-time-father thing? It was practically written law that he should be an over protective wreck.

Damon, clearly unalarmed by Caroline's irritation, simply shrugged as he walked past her into the kitchen. A moment later, the dark haired doctor returned with the remaining platters, set them on the table, and took a seat next to Elena without so much as a word.

Klaus watched Damon's silent actions, admittedly surprised at his…well…kindness. Though he did it in an arrogant fashion, the intent was clear. To do the lifting and walking so Caroline didn't have to.

Still surprised at Damon's actions, Klaus moved to the other side of the table and pulled Caroline's chair out for her. His clearly indignant wife took a seat and shot Damon a threatening look, "Stay out of my kitchen, Salvatore. I heard what you did to Elena's."

As Klaus took his seat, he glanced confusedly over at Elena, wondering what Caroline meant. Despite Elena's olive complexion, her cheeks had gone a deep red as she averted her eyes anywhere but at Klaus. Damon just chuckled and Klaus saw his hand move towards Elena's thigh, like he was reassuring her or something.

"Klaus doesn't want to hear about that, Caroline. He already looks green." Damon argued a moment later, sending a joking look Klaus's way. Well, looks like his nausea hadn't gone without notice. Oh well.

Figuring that whatever Elena was blushing about would give Klaus the fierce desire to locate his 9 mm, Klaus agreed, "I second that."

_Two Hours Later_

"Bullshit!" Klaus exclaimed loudly, his eyebrows shot up as he looked accusingly at Damon.

Sounds bad, huh?

Not quite.

Klaus, Damon, Elena, and Caroline all sat around the coffee table in the living room. Each of them held a hand full of cards. Once they'd finished lunch, Caroline had proposed they take a page from one of those sappy chick flicks and play a card game called 'Bullshit'. At first, Caroline and Elena had been the only ones excited for it, but in no time, Damon and Klaus were hollering 'bullshit' loud enough for half the beach to hear.

Amazingly enough, Damon wasn't nearly as bad as Klaus thought he was. Yeah, the guy could use an ego deflate, but he wasn't all bad. He had a good sense of humor, he was secretly kind to Caroline despite their teasing distaste for one another, and most of all…he clearly loved Elena more than life itself.

Klaus had never seen anyone look at Elena the way Damon did. Not even his older brother, Elijah, who had once thought the ground Elena Gilbert walked on was sacred. There was no denying that the guy treated Elena like she was the best part of his world.

The longer Klaus saw the two of them together, the more he realized how happy Elena was. In simple terms, she was as happy with Damon as he was with Caroline. And there just wasn't any conceivable way Klaus could deny Elena the happiness he felt.

Around the coffee table, the four of them dissolved into laughter over Klaus's over dramatics of the game. He sounded as though he were auditioning for Jerry Springer.

Laughing, Elena leaned into Damon, trying to catch her breath as Damon put his arm around her waist, chuckling and shaking his head. Beside him, Caroline shook her head as she laughed. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, "I love you, you big drama queen." She joked softly.

Klaus smiled back at her, thinking in that moment he'd never seen her look more beautiful. So full of light and laughter. It seemed as though this world was just getting better and better by the moment. It was like everything he'd wanted in his living life had come true. Even things he didn't realize he wanted.

"You love your life now, huh?" Damon asked a moment later.

Confused at Damon's suddenly serious tone, Klaus looked away from Caroline to Damon. In an instant, the atmosphere changed. The laughing stopped, the smiles faded. It felt like the temperature dropped twenty degrees. Damon and Elena both were looking at him seriously.

Feeling his eyebrows pull together, Klaus questioned Damon, "What are you talking about?"

But it wasn't Damon that answered him. It was Elena. With both serious and pitying eyes, Elena reached across the table and grabbed one of Klaus's hands. "This isn't real, Klaus. Not here. You can't have this life here."

What the hell was going on here?

Klaus looked between the three of them, waiting for the punch line. Waiting for someone to tell him this was a joke. What did she mean this wasn't real? He was dead. This was…well, he didn't know what this was, but it was some kind of afterlife. Right?

Next to him, Caroline reached over and turned Klaus's head towards her with the gentle touch of her fingers. She looked at him levelly, trying to stay strong, but Klaus could see her hazel eyes filling with tears. "You're not dead, Klaus. And this life, everything that's happened since you woke up, it's not real. This isn't heaven, or some kind of afterlife paradise."

Confused, Klaus shook his head. How could this not be real? It felt…it felt so real it couldn't be some kind of dream. It couldn't be just a pretty picture in his mind. Everything inside him felt for this place. It was too good not to be true.

"Then what is it?" Klaus finally asked.

Caroline sighed softly and dropped her hands from Klaus's face. She took his free hand and squeezed it tightly in her own, "It's what you could have, Klaus. You can have everything here. We could all be this happy. But you have to live. If you die, you won't stay here. All of this," Caroline gestured around them, "will be gone."

"So then what is this," Klaus said slowly, trying to sort through what she was telling him, "a glimpse of my future? If I live?" Klaus asked. No, that wasn't possible. His life, his real life, would never look like this. Not even close. It was too dangerous. He wasn't this man in his real life.

"You could have all this, but you have to live, man." Damon said from the other side of the couch. His face looked more serious than Klaus had ever seen it. And sad. As Damon sat there, he exchanged a glance with Elena, like they were saying goodbye.

Klaus took a deep breath, trying to figure this all out. So, this wasn't real. But…they were all saying it could be. If he lived. Which meant he was still alive. Not dead. So that meant he made it through the surgery? And if he could have this life, did that mean he wasn't lying in a coma? Or too brain damaged to live?

Caroline squeezed his hand again, bringing his attention back to her. Slowly, she moved his hand to her belly, pressing his palm against it as he had earlier. She looked up at him with a look so filled with hope he found it impossible to look away. "You have to come back to us, Klaus. If you want this," she looked down towards her stomach and then back at Klaus, "then you have to fight your way back to us. If you don't…you'll die, and you can never have this. They can never have each other," she nodded towards Damon and Elena, "and you and I can never be together. We'll never have this baby. We'll never have this life. The only way to have any of this is for you to open your eyes and live."

And just like that, his world was thrown into darkness.

An empty, cold, darkness. He was alone. The only thing keeping him company was his desire to have that world back.

* * *

He did it.

He pulled off the impossible.

Damon Salvatore saved Klaus Mikaelson, a terminal patient, in record time.

Okay, maybe saved was too over dramatic of a word to use. He removed the brain tumor without much issue. There were no signs of damage or of any other cancerous cells while he operated. Of course, the extensive tests the patient would be subject to later would be more telling than his short view. And obviously no one would know if there was any other damage (memory loss, coma, ext.) until Klaus did, or did not wake up.

But all that aside, Damon did what every other doctor consulted couldn't' do.

A smile found its way to his lips as he stood in one of the showers in the locker room, only minutes after finishing with the surgery. The assisting nurses stayed behind to get Klaus up to ICU, and he left Elena to deliver the news to nurse Forbes and Klaus's sister. They were all, so he heard, pretty close. He figured they'd rather hear the news from their friend than him.

That, and he wanted to avoid being caught alone with Elena right after the surgery.

God, when he looked over at her once he'd closed up, he thought she was going to fall on the ground and kiss his feet. No one had ever looked at him with so much gratitude before. It was the same as the look they exchanged a little over an hour and a half before when it looked like Klaus wasn't going to make it.

How the hell did this woman he barely knew have so much…power over him? Why did he want so badly to keep that light, that hope in her eyes?

Why, he thought for the thousandth time since that moment, did he care?

Shaking his head, Damon decided to leave those thoughts behind. He just pulled off a miracle. He should be celebrating or something. Spreading the word of his surgical brilliance. At the very least, he should be doing something more meaningful than standing in the shower.

He reached out and turned the water off, bringing the warm tidal wave to a stop. If he had anything to credit Mystic General for, it was their water pressure. Damn shower head nearly shot him into the tiled wall.

Damon grabbed the towel he'd laid out earlier from the metal rack outside the shower and wrapped it around his waist. Not that it really mattered, he was the only one in the locker room. It seemed everyone had run up to the ICU to admire his handiwork.

Making his way from the showers back to the lockers, Damon ran his hand through his damp hair, the smile returning. That whole confidence thing he was so fond of? Well, it's useful in tense situations, but it rears its head plenty in times of triumph too.

Pride welled inside his chest, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling pretty damn full of himself. How could he not? He did what everyone said he was crazy to do. And he didn't walk out of that OR as the fool who ended a terminal patient's life too early. No, he walked out the miracle working doctor who saved a terminal patient.

Damon guessed that within the next few days, job offers would begin pouring in from all over the states. There wouldn't be a hospital around that would pass up the chance to have a miracle working doctor on their staff.

Maybe now his good for nothing father would finally get it through his thick skull that his eldest son was more accomplished than he'd ever be.

That thought did little to improve his mood. It never did. Damon shook his head, trying to rid himself of anything to do with his father.

As he rounded the corner to the third row of lockers – the row where his temporary locker had assigned- he stopped in his tracks when he realized he wasn't alone after all.

There in the middle two rows of lockers stood none other than Elena Gilbert. Looking past the row he was about to walk down, Damon realized that he'd stopped on the wrong row. But he didn't move away. He couldn't.

His eyes stayed locked on her. Elena's back was to him, so thankfully she didn't see him so obviously staring. The top of her scrubs sat discarded on the bench next to her and she was looking through her locker for her own shirt. Without her blue scrubs top, it gave Damon the full view of her back. Her smooth skin undeterred by anything but the thin strap of her bra. Her long, dark hair hung down straight and smooth. It was the first time Damon had seen it down like that. And he had the sudden desire to run his hands through it…knot his fist into it as he…never mind.

Goddammit she was beautiful.

It wasn't a fact Damon had been ignorant of before now. He'd appreciated her striking looks even when she barged in on him a few days ago in the supply closet with that nurse…what was her name again? Anyway, he'd noticed then. He'd noticed as he sat across from her in that board room. He'd even noticed when she was bitching him out in front of Klaus. But all those times he'd been distracted by trying to keep up in the verbal battle to truly take her in.

Now…he had to admit she was one of the beautiful women he'd ever met.

Shit.

What an effing combination. Beautiful…and able to tug at his heart strings.

Maybe it was about time he leave…

But just as Damon made to keep walking, Elena turned from her locker with her shirt in her hands. She looked up and her eyes locked on Damon's.

Shit.

* * *

"He did it."

It was all Elena could think to say.

After all her years in the medical field, you'd think she should be able to come up with something a little more professional, but the words escaped her. There didn't seem to be a good enough way to describe what Damon had done for Klaus.

Klaus was alive. He made it through surgery with no obvious damage or injury. The close call they had mid-way through the surgery was long forgotten once Damon announced that he was finished and ready to close up.

Well, long forgotten by everyone else, perhaps. That moment was stuck in Elena's head like someone had glued it there. That look in Damon's eyes when he first looked up…Elena had been sure Damon knew Klaus wasn't going to make it. But then in an instant, after their eyes met, a fire lit behind his icy blue eyes, and he fought like mad to save Klaus's life.

And he did.

So, that's exactly what she told Caroline and Rebekah as she stood outside Klaus's room in the ICU. The two of them had looked so shaken, and so terrified when she found them, it made Elena feel guilty that they hadn't sent one of the nurses out to keep them updated. But they'd all been on edge after Klaus nearly flat lined that none of them even considered moving away from the table.

Caroline took a deep breath, relief flooding her features as she turned towards Klaus's room. She pressed her hands against the glass, looking through the blinds at Klaus's unconscious form. Rebekah's eyes filled with tears and she quickly moved forward and pulled her into a hug. Elena wrapped her arms around Rebekah as well, glad that she had come. Someone from Klaus's family should be here.

"Thank you for everything you did to save him." Rebekah whispered in Elena's ear, her voice sounding a little choked. Rebekah wasn't a very emotional person –when it came to ones of sadness anyway- so Elena could tell how worried she'd been.

"Thank Dam- Dr. Salvatore, he's the one who saved his life." Elena whispered back, patting Rebekah's back gently before letting her go.

Rebekah nodded, sniffling as she turned to face the window with Caroline. Rebekah had never met Damon. To her, Damon was almost like an idea. All she knew was that he was the one crazy enough to attempt the surgery. But it would be a hell of a lot easier for Rebekah to thank Damon if he hadn't run for the hills as soon as the surgery was over.

"Where is Dr. Salvatore?" Caroline asked a moment later, never taking her eyes off of Klaus even though she was speaking to Elena. It was obvious that Caroline wanted to be in there by Klaus's side more than anything. But she'd been told she had to wait for the nurses to finish getting him settled and such.

If only I had the answer to that, Elena thought. Damon didn't give any explanation where he was going. He just looked at Elena as they washed their hands and told her it would be best if she was the one to tell Klaus's family about the surgery. Confused Elena had agreed, but before she could thank Damon herself, he quickly set off, leaving her in his wake.

"You know what," Elena said, making up her mind as she spoke, "I'm gonna go find that out." She might as well do something useful. Standing here wasn't helping anyone. And she felt like she should give Rebekah and Caroline some alone time with Klaus first when they were allowed to go in. Casting one last glance at Klaus through the window, Elena set off down the hall.

Provided Damon hadn't left the hospital there were only so many places he could be. He wasn't officially on staff so he had no other patients to check on. Though she was sure that could change soon if Damon decided to stay. Mikael Mikaelson might have been the dick Damon called him, but he wasn't stupid. You don't let a neurologist like that walk out the door without a job offer.

Deciding that the break room and locker room were her best bet, Elena quickly jogged up the stairwell to the third floor. She needed to change out of her scrubs anyway. As of ten minutes ago, she was off the clock. As Elena made her way towards the break room, she overheard a few nurses whispering about the surgery as she passed. They all seemed to be in disbelief that Damon actually pulled it off.

Join the club.

When Elena reached it, she realized the break room was empty. Something that almost never happened. She assumed it was because people had gone to find out if the rumors about the surgery were true. Standing there, Elena remembered there was another thing she needed to do aside from finding Damon.

She pulled her cell phone from her scrubs pocket and scrolled through her contacts list until she found the right number. Elena knew there was a pretty good chance he wouldn't answer…but she had to try anyway.

After dialing the number she waited impatiently as the phone rang. She tapped her foot against the white tile floors, wishing that for once he would stop trying to ignore the problems in his own back yard. As she predicted, the phone rang until his voicemail picked up. His soothingly familiar voice came through the line, asking her to leave a message and promising to return her call.

She wouldn't hold her breath on that one.

The beep for the message sounded and Elena took a deep breath before she spoke, "Elijah…it's Elena. Listen, I know I've said this a lot, but you need to come home. I found a surgeon to do the surgery. We just finished a little while ago. He did it, Elijah. The doctor, Dr. Salvatore is his name, he removed the tumor. Klaus is still in recovery and hasn't woken up yet, but I'm pretty sure he'd like to wake up and know his family cares that he's alive. I know there's a lot of history there…but he's your brother. And he needs you. Please just consider it?"

Elena hung up after that, feeling like she'd said enough. She doubted that her message would make much of a difference, though. Her previous seven hadn't. The only response she'd gotten was a voicemail from Elijah. It was short, and had almost nothing to do with Klaus.

_Elena, it's good to hear your voice after so long. I appreciate all you're trying to do for my brother, you've always been a better friend to this family than we deserve. Take care of yourself._

She shook her head, wondering why the hell she even bothered.

After that she set off into the locker room, wanting to change out of her scrubs. She had a feeling she was going to be spending most of her time off by Klaus's bedside, and she at least wanted to be comfortable.

By her locker, she quickly twisted in the combination, her mind far away from the bleak gray lockers before her. Questions she wanted answers to. Would Klaus be okay? Would his family stop being so stubborn? What did that moment between she and Damon mean? Did it mean anything at all? And where had he run off to?

Sighing as she slid her scrubs top off, Elena decided she needed to stop thinking so much.

However, that resolution didn't last very long. As she dug through her locker to grab her short sleeved tee shirt, she all the sudden had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her. Turning her head to the side, she realized she was right.

Damon Salvatore was standing there. In a towel. Staring at her.

And there she was, standing there in her bra.

All at once, Elena was caught between her embarrassment over Damon seeing her –and the way he was looking at her- and her embarrassment over practically drooling at the sight of his well-defined and wet chest.

She spun around in a flash, hiding her face –and front- from Damon's view. She quickly slid her tee shirt over her head, praying her cheeks weren't the color of tomatoes by now. "What are you doing?" she demanded, her tone sounding sharper than she meant it to.

Spinning back around to face Damon, now that she wasn't modeling the look of a desperate soap opera star, Elena's hands found their way to her hips. It was a force of habit. After her parents passed, Elena had felt like she needed to help parent her brother, even though Aunt Jenna and Alaric were the ones charged with that duty. Ever since then, she had a knack for portraying a disapproving mother.

Damon held his hands up in a position of surrender, his eyes conveying his innocence, despite the growing smirk on his lips, "Sorry, I thought I was alone in here." He said by way of explanation.

Raising an eyebrow, Elena crossed her arms loosely across her chest, "And when you realized you weren't you figured the most polite thing to do was stop and say hello?" Elena asked dryly.

Shrugging, Damon just winked at her and made to walk away.

God she wanted to slap him.

But she didn't. Instead, she called out for him. "Hey…Damon?"

Stopping in his tracks, Damon backed up a step and waited for her to speak. His eyes were fixed ahead, nowhere near her.

"Thank you. You saved his life." Elena said quietly, knowing her gratitude was far stronger than her indignation over his stopping to look at her. The fact that Damon gave Klaus a fighting chance at life kind of earned him instant forgiveness.

Damon stood there for a little while, not saying anything. He seemed to be thinking about something pretty intently. But just about the time Elena thought he wasn't going to respond, Damon looked over at her. His eyes were softer than she'd ever seen him, and there was an honesty in his face that she never thought she'd see. "I couldn't have done that without you."

Without another word, Damon walked off. She could hear him on the other side of his locker, retrieving his clothes.

Elena stood there, too shocked to respond. Because of her? What did she do? Her minor assisting was nothing special. Any nurse could've easily done it. And there was no way he was thanking her for tracking him down in the first place. Damon wasn't grateful for that intrusion in his life.

Then she got it.

That look he got in the OR, when he looked up from Klaus. The one that made her certain Klaus was going to die. Then it vanished, and it was replaced by a fierce confidence that Damon could do it.

He was thanking her for that?

But…why?

"I told you to stop calling me!"

Elena snapped out of her reverie. She could just barely hear Damon's voice, he was speaking so low. And he sounded much further away than on the other side of the lockers. Moving quietly, Elena peered around the corner of the lockers and she could see Damon through a crack in the door that led to the break room. It looked as though Damon had tried to close it, but he didn't realize that door never stuck.

"I'm done. I was done then, I'm done now. You ever fucking call me again and you're going to have way bigger problems than not having a distributor."

Elena flinched at the sound of Damon's phone snapping shut. What the hell was that all about? What did he mean by a distributor?

Through the crack in the door Elena could see Damon coming back into the locker room and she quickly ducked behind the lockers so he wouldn't see her.

Looks like Doctor Salvatore is hiding more than just a good heart.

* * *

Caroline sat next to Klaus's bedside, her hand wrapped around his. His hand was limp inside hers, but she didn't care. She just wanted to feel him. Wanted to feel the warmth of his skin and know that he was alive.

The terror that had washed over her when she heard the heart monitor go off in the OR had shaken her to her very core. She'd never felt more helpless in her entire life. She was just standing there on the other side of glass window while Klaus…died.

Rebekah flew into a panic as soon as Caroline told her what was wrong. And unlike Caroline, she didn't stay pressed against the window. She'd run from the room calling for nurses and doctors at the top of her lungs. Rebekah seemed to think that screaming would somehow make things better.

Inside the OR, Caroline had watched the shock register on Elena and Damon's faces. It was like watching a slow motion horror movie. Everything had been going so well…and then it just wasn't. No explanations to accompany it, just the sudden realization that this surgery was as nightmarish as they'd feared it would be.

Pressed against that cold glass, Caroline prayed like never before that Klaus would pull through. She would have gotten down on her knees and begged God to save him if that wouldn't have cut off her line of vision to Klaus.

Tears had fallen down her cheeks so rapidly that she couldn't even see anymore. She could just hear the quick commands from Damon, and the beeping of the monitor. One of her hands was practically wrapped around her stomach, as if to shield her child from this horror.

But after what seemed like an eternity, everything stopped. The bleeding, the wild beeping, Damon and Elena's worry. Within a few minutes, Damon was able to stabilize Klaus so that he could continue with the surgery.

After that, Caroline spent the rest of the surgery in the waiting room with Rebekah, knowing she couldn't handle watching that again.

For nearly two hours, nurses came by offering to bring them coffee or something from the vending machines. After Rebekah's crazed demands for more help in the OR the nurses seemed determined to keep her calm. Probably had something to do with Dr. Mikaelson appearing to tell the staff to do whatever they could for his daughter.

Not his son, who was fighting for his life. But his daughter. The man didn't even acknowledge that Klaus was in the OR.

As they waited, Rebekah tried to call all her siblings, and her mother. Elijah, as per usual, didn't answer his phone. Kol made up an excuse about having an exam he couldn't miss. And Esther, Klaus's mother, said she couldn't come down to the hospital and watch Klaus die, because she knew the surgery would fail.

What Caroline heard was that Esther _hoped _the surgery would fail.

She couldn't help but think…if her baby was Klaus's…these people would be her baby's family. Their grandchild, or niece or nephew. Would they care? Would they love the baby? Or would they treat that innocent child with as much disdain as they treated Klaus with?

Caroline forced herself to think of something else before she drove her pregnant ass over to the Mikaelson mansion to kick Esther's ass all over her freshly waxed floor.

Now here she was, hours later, praying that Klaus would open his eyes. The nurses told her that they wouldn't know much until he woke up. Right now, all they could say is that the tumor was gone, and there was no obvious injury or damage during or after surgery.

They all tried to sound so calm and reassuring, but it only made Caroline worry more. 'Until he wakes up' meant nothing. She wanted to know NOW that he was going to be okay. That when he woke up…he would still be Klaus.

On the other side of the bed, Rebekah sat in the room's other uncomfortable chair. She was scooted so close to the bed it was a wonder the chair wasn't hooked on the bedframe. She didn't touch Klaus though. Rebekah almost seemed scared she would break him if she touched him. She just sat there, her eyes never moving from Klaus's face.

"He must hate us." Rebekah whispered in the silence, guilt beginning to cloud her features as she looked at her older brother. Caroline knew she was referring to the phone calls she'd made earlier.

Caroline shook her head and sucked in a deep breath. She knew differently. She and Klaus had spent months talking, and the few times Klaus brought up his family, he said he didn't blame them for the way they treated him. Klaus believed he deserved it. "He loves you guys. He could never hate his family."

But his family sure could hate him.

Rebekah didn't say anything else, but Caroline could tell she didn't believe her. Honestly, Caroline wasn't sure she would believe her. Maybe when Klaus woke up and realized that his family cared so little, maybe he would hate them.

The room lapsed into silence after that. The only noise came from the various machines beeping, letting them know Klaus was okay. That he had brain activity.

He had to live. There just wasn't a way that Klaus could just be gone. Caroline refused to accept that. There was one thing she knew after the months she spent getting to know Klaus…and the night they spent together.

That thing was that she just couldn't picture living in a world without him.

* * *

Outside Klaus's hospital room, unbeknownst to most, a man stood behind the glass, observing the scene in the room. His lips turned down into a sneer for just a moment. He hated that bastard lying in that bed. The only good thing about standing here was that the guy was probably lying on his death bed.

Well, that, and the nice view of the two blondes inside the room he got.

One of them was a nurse. The one he'd spoken to when he first arrived at the hospital. The one who stood there and lied to his face about Klaus Mikaelson being in Mystic General. She cared for him. Knew that a Russian guy asking questions probably meant trouble.

Smart girl. But not smart enough.

Demetri knew she was lying. He always knew when people were lying. It was a gift. No one ever got away with lying to him. So, once the blonde did her work to protect Klaus, Demetri went down to another floor and asked another nurse. This one was older, gray-haired and smiling too much. She happily told him that Klaus was going into surgery. Some miracle working surgeon showed up to save his life.

How sweet.

With darkened eyes, Demetri moved away from the window and walked off as though he'd never been there. And no one would know he was. Not after he disabled the security cameras for this floor.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he quickly dialed the number he needed and waited. Two rings later, a voice rasped in the phone, "What?"

"He's here." Demetri said shortly, "he's not dead yet, but he will be soon."

* * *

_**I know, I know, I suck for leaving you with a cliffhanger ;) But hey, I gotta keep you guys coming back for something ;) **_

_**So, I hope you LOVED, not liked, this chapter! This is one I've been waiting to get out for a while. We're beginning to see the darker side of the story unfold, and this is just the beginning. Obviously our Russian friend doesn't have good intentions, but what about Damon? What is he hiding? And will Klaus wake and fight for the life he can have, or surrender to the darkness?**_

_**You shall see ;)**_

_**Thank you guys so so much for all your views, alerts, favorites, and reviews! They mean the world to me, and I am so grateful for the time you guys take to do those things! I'm thrilled you like this story! And also, thank you guys for all your kindness over my grandfather, it means a lot to me!**_

_**Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter? Pretty please with Ian Somerhalder and Joseph Morgan on top? ;)**_

_**Lastly, another very big thank you to my best friends in the world Candace, Brandi, Lizzie, Shelby, Serena, Jake, Nathan, and Chloe. You guys show me more and more every day how blessed I am to have friends like you! Thank you for your unending support and love! I love you guys so much!**_

_**Until Next Time,**_

_**Cilla :D**_


	8. Another Update!

Hello Lovelies! :)

So, I have some very unfortunate news :( This past Tuesday the hard drive in my laptop died. I don't know how or why, I just know it's dead. And with it died all my saved documents, pics, programs, ext. That means that my outline and info sheets on Guns N' Roses are gone, my completed and uncompleted chapters, everything :(

There is some hope of recovering them, but I won't know until early next week if it's possible. Which means that for now, I've got nothing. Not even Word :( I'm trying Google Docs for the time being so that I could at least keep you guys updated! Hopefully it won't be long before I get my computer issues worked out, and hopefully I'll be able to recover my saved documents. But if not, I'll just begin re-doing them this week!

I'm sorry guys, I really am. I feel horrible that I keep taking these sporadic breaks, but this one was just totally out of my hands. I'm doing my best to get this stuff resolved quickly! I just ask for patience as I try to navigate through all this stuff!

I'll keep you guys updated about what's going on as often as I can. By Wednesday I should know if my documents can be saved or if I need to begin working on them from scratch. I can't give you an expected update date, but please know that I'm trying my best to get it done quickly!

Thank you guys as always for your unending support, praise, love, and patience! I love you guys, and I so appreciate everything you do! :) If you have any questions or anything, please feel free to PM about them :)

Until Next Time,

Cilla :D


	9. Final UpdateSneak Peek At Chapter Seven

_**Hello Again Lovelies!**_

_**I promise, this is the last update I will post on the matter of getting GNR up and running again!**_

_**Okay, as I said before, the hard drive in my computer is gone. It crashed and it took every last document with it. That means all my finished and uncompleted chapters, outlines, info sheets, everything for this story is gone. And sadly, I've taken the hard drive to four different tech people, and nothing can be restored on it :(**_

_**And in other bad news, the second hard drive that was placed in my computer was a dud, so I haven't really had a working personal computer in weeks. But that problem has been fixed and I am busy trying to rebuild GNR. I am backing up everything, and using Google Docs as well, so this won't happen again -God willing.**_

_**So, on that note, please know that I am hard at work and using all my spare time to get this story back in working order and getting the next chapter pulled together! I can't give an exact date for the next update, but it won't be too far away!**_

_**Thank you guys so much for all your advice and understanding! It means the world to me that you guys are so kind and supportive! Thank you for your faithful reading and following, and I hope you'll continue to stay on and follow GNR till the end! :)**_

_**And because I love you guys so much, I'm going to give you a little piece of the next chapter, just to assure that it's coming ;)**_

* * *

Darkness is a maddening thing.

It's consuming. Impossible to ignore, and even more impossible to forget. It clouds the mind and fills the soul until you feel so low that you become sure you will never see the light again. It's enough to drive the sanest man mad….enough to make even the most determined man fall weary to his fight and give up.

But Klaus Mikaelson wasn't going to be that man.

Klaus was not some run-of-the-mill Tom, Dick, or Harry fighting a lackluster war for a mediocre prize. He was a man who survived despite every single odd in the world stacked against him...and his prize was a world he had only ever dreamed of.

No, he had no guarantees that he would ever have that world that he got such a brief preview of, but the only way to find out was to fight to get back to the world of the living.

There was no denying that this fight wasn't the hardest of his life. At every turn, he was met with only more darkness, and it seemed more often than not that he would never find his way back. Darkness was everywhere. Every breath hurt, every step agony. It was hell. And he knew in the back of his mind that there was a way to end it. With every painful second, Klaus had to live with the fact that he could turn the pain off any time he wanted by simply giving up and succumbing to the darkness.

All he had to do to end the agony was just stop fighting.

But he couldn't. He couldn't even consider it. If he gave up, he'd never have that life. He'd never live on the breathtaking shores of the Hamptons. He'd never wake up to that house that felt more like home than anything he'd ever felt before. He would never see Elena as happy as she was with Damon. And...he'd never have Caroline. He would never wait at the alter with her. He would never place his hand over her belly and feel his child move. And the thought of that was all he needed to push through and keep fighting.

The truth of the matter is that Klaus would've suffered the darkness and all its pain ten thousand times over if it meant he could have a chance at that kind of happiness.

* * *

_**There you have it ;) I hope you liked it! It's only a portion of Klaus's section, there's more to come on his end, and much more to come with Elena, Damon, and Caroline! )**_

_**Thank you guys again for all your support! I hope to have the next chapter up soon!**_

_**Until Next Time!**_

_**Cilla **_


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